Pure Anger
by speed killz
Summary: In a fit of anger Inu kills everyone...except a dark brown haired demon slayer. With revenge on her mind and determination in her heart, will she get revenge on the hanyou that destroyed her nearly rebuilt life? InuSan
1. Chapter 1

Pure Anger.

InuYasha had been extremely edgy over the last few days. He wasn't used to travelling with the group of people that were following him around. The girl, Kagome, was a whiny, self-centered bitch that wouldn't back down and shut up. The other girl, the one he had saved, Sango, she was alright, mostly quiet. He didn't mind her, she was a fighter. But even she pissed him off, her stamina wasn't up to par with his, none of them were, actually, and he hated stopping. Miroku, the black-haired guy, was always trying to get him to stop killing so much, and InuYasha thought he knew why. It wasn't because he was a monk, it was because InuYasha was a better fighter, and Miroku couldn't handle it. He sighed, and clenched his fists, feeling the anger circulate through his body, making his vision go blurry, and his hands shake. He knew that he was going to snap soon, he just wanted to be alone.

"InuYasha, we're stopping again!" InuYasha was jerked out of his thoughts, and realized that he was about twenty feet ahead of the group. Everyone else had stopped, and was looking at him. He growled, and walked back.

"Stupid bitch." He muttered as he walked by Kagome.

"I have a name you know!" She yelled. InuYasha snorted. "Who the hell cares?" He asked. "You can't fight, you can't cook, you sure as hell can't stop whining, you're nobody, a nameless bitch who won't stop following me around!"

"InuYasha, sit!"

InuYasha cursed as he was slammed into the ground, and his anger increased ten-fold. He waited a few seconds for the spell to wear off, before getting up. He glared at Kagome, and visualized tearing her apart. He would love to. She pissed him off so much, he just wanted to tear into her, hitting her over and over until there was nothing left to hit...

He shook his head, and figured that her time was coming. She would get it good. He laid down on the grass, and for the next ten minutes he listened to Miroku and Sango squabble, and Kagome throw in comments in that high-pitched voice of hers. He got up, and walked a few feet away, gathering all the strength in his legs. He jumped up, and landed in a tree, high above their heads.

"InuYasha, what are you doing?" Shippou asked, running up the tree, his claws digging into the soft wood. He pulled level with InuYasha, and looked at him.

"Huh?" He asked. "Being all anti-social, aren't ya?"

InuYasha, his eyes closed, now opened them.

"Shippou." He said, his voice soft, the anger evident in his voice.

"Get. The. Fuck. Away. Now."

Shippous eyes went wide, and he jumped off the tree.

"I'm tellinnnnnnngggggggggggggggg!" He yelled, all the way to the ground.

InuYasha shook his head and closed his eyes again, picturing more peaceful times when he was by himself, before he got pinned to the tree.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully, for InuYasha stayed up in the tree.

The next night...

InuYasha sighed loudly as they stopped for the night.

"What is it about nightfall that makes you guys wanna stop anyway?" He asked.

They shrugged. "Well, we been walking all day, and when it gets dark, it seems like an alright time to stop and rest." Miroku said.

InuYasha glared at him. "So what?" He asked. "Screw it, let's keep going."

Kagome marched up to him.

"InuYasha, we're all tired and hungry, and we're stopping, so get over it!"

InuYasha stopped. No one was going to give him orders.

"Who the fuck do you think you are!?" He asked. "Get the hell outta my face, before I kill you!"

Kagome's eyes widened.

"You bastard..." She whispered.

Then she was on the ground, blood spraying from her throat. InuYasha glared down at her, his right hand bloody, as Miroku grabbed his staff, and Sango put her hand on the hilt of her sword, grabbing her Hiraikotsu.

Kagome screamed, clutching her throat.

InuYasha growled as the screaming hurt his ears.

"Shut up bitch, it's only a scratch."

Kagome removed her hand and looked at it. It was covered in blood. She coughed a few times, blood spurting from her mouth. She looked up at InuYasha with pleading eyes, but he glared down at her coldly.

"InuYasha, what was that for!?" Sango asked, running to Kagome's side. InuYasha flexed his claws.

"Don't even start." He warned her. Sango gave him a dirty look, but that wasn't what set him off. He felt the bloodlust rising up in him, and he let it take control, like he used to, before Kikyo tried to tame him. He kicked Sango in the face as she bent over Kagome, and punched Miroku as he tried to defend Sango.

"You stupid humans picked the wrong demon to piss off." He said. Sango had fallen onto her back, and now she rolled onto her stomach, as she clutched her face, trying to get up. InuYasha grabbed her arms, and pulled them behind Sango, as he placed his foot on the middle of her back. He pushed with his foot, while pulling on her arms.

She started screaming as her shoulders started breaking, and the arms were torn out of their sockets. InuYasha grinned, and let go of her arms, pushing down with his foot.

Her face was slammed into the ground, and she was immediately silent, and unmoving.

Miroku gasped at his beloved Sango face down in the dirt, with two broken arms. He undid the prayer beads around his hand, and decided that this was the only way.

He pointed the air void at InuYasha, who drew his sword. He planted it in the ground and leaned against it, defending against it for a few seconds.

His sword was starting to move, being dragged through the dirt toward Miroku. InuYasha cursed, and lifted his sword out of the ground.

As he was hurtled toward Miroku, he felt the winds surrounding him. He regarded Miroku's attack as an enemy, and peformed the Backlash wave on him, destroying Miroku completely. There was nothing left, not a single thing to prove that Miroku had existed on the earth. He walked over to the groaning Kagome, raising his sword high above her head, and slaughtering her with a single sword stroke, silencing her forever.

He sheathed his sword, and laughed.

How fun it was to kill.

He ran off in the direction of the village they had just passed, his bloodlust not yet sated...

However, Sango wasn't completely finished off, underestimated by InuYasha for being human, and female...


	2. Dead and gone

Pure Anger 2.

InuYasha inhaled deeply, feeling all the anger fade out of his body. The need to kill was gone, and as everything started to come back to him, he started shaking. His hands shook violently, and he softly whispered the names of those close to him that had died.

"Kagome...Miroku...Sango...I killed them all, in a fit of anger." He said softly. He stared down at his boody hands, and looked up into the dying sun as it sank beneath the horizon.

"What do I do now?" He asked himself. He started walking, his mind in shock from what he had done. He walked until he found a hot spring, and he took off his blood-soaked clothes, walking into the waist deep water. As he felt the hot water surge around him he started to scrub his hands together, eager to get the blood off. He didn't know what had happened to him, or why he had snapped, but he did. He sighed, and thought that anger was a dangerous emotion and could make you do things that you would later regret. Maybe even do things that were irriverisible. He thought of the three lives that had been ended by him in a fit of anger. Kagome, she barely knew better, and as far as he knew, she could have been scared of him, and used the 'sit' word. He stared down at his claws, and saw his reflection in the mirror. He did look pretty scary, with his sharp eyes and glare, and right now he was soaked in blood.

Miroku was just trying to defend the girl that InuYasha had kicked, then smashed into the ground. Miroku was just trying to defend the girl he liked, just another human being that needed protection from a monster like him.

Sango, she was only trying to help Kagome, and hadn't even made a move toward him, and he had ruthlessly attacked and killed her. He shuddered as he remembered the sharp snapping sounds her arms had made. He wondered why he had done to her what he did. A simple slash of his claws or sword would have done the job.

InuYasha regretted his brutality toward all of them, and wished that he hadn't done what he did. He dunked his head under water, squeezing his eyes closed. He held his breath under water, and considered not coming up for breath. But he couldn't do it. He wondered if it was possible to drown by choice, as he gulped heavy breaths, water dripping off his bangs into his eyes. He wondered if it was possible to have the willpower to run out of air, and not push yourself up out of the water when you knew you had the power. He shook his head, and waded over to his clothes. He dragged them in, and started scrubbing them. The water around him turned red, but it was quickly diluted, the red fading away as the water churned as he moved around in it. He scrubbed his clothes over and over again, wanting to get rid of the blood that caused him these painful memories.

Sango groaned, and coughed dirt out of her mouth. Her lips and cheeks were sore, and it felt like her jaw was broken from the impact with the ground. She tried to move, but found she couldn't move her arms to push herself up. She was then aware of intense pain all throughout her arms, and whimpered, struggling not to cry. She remembered that it was InuYasha who had done this, and she grimaced. She would hunt him down and make him pay, even if it took her the rest of her life. She looked to her right, and saw Kagome lying on the ground. What she saw made her eyes go wide, and her stomach turn upside down.

Kagome was lying on the ground, her head separated from her body, an immense pool of blood surrounding the body. Sango remembered being conscious for Miroku's death, but didn't know that InuYasha would bother to decapitate an already dying girl. Sango felt the tears running down her face.

How old was this girl again? Sango didn't know, but she was sure that the girl was younger than 17. Sango tried again to move, but there was simply no movement in her arms. She cried out in pain as she rolled over her arm, onto her back. From there, she sat up, then rolled over onto her knees, then stood. Her arms, dangling uslessly at her sides, were of no help to her. She needed to find someone to assist her. She started walking back in the direction of the village they had just passed, stopping once to look back on the cold body of Kagome.

As she walked, she could not know how pointless her journey was, for the village she was heading to was already destroyed by InuYasha.

InuYasha, devoid of all energy and totally depressed, climbed slowly out of the water, and slipped on his clothes that had been drying on a nearby rock that had still been warm, having kept most of the energy transferred to it by the sun. InuYasha cleared a place in the dirt by the water and laid down, thinking about how funny his situation was. All along, he had wanted someone, and couldn't understand why no one liked him. Then, he realized that it was his half-demon side that everyone was disgusted with, and had given up all hope of finding someone to share his life with. Then, along comes Kagome and everyone else, and he has friends. Not used to people around him, he claims that he hates weak humans, and violently slaughters them all, claiming that he's better off alone. Now that he's alone, he doesn't feel any better than he did before he killed all his friends. InuYasha sighed, and rolled over in the dirt, trying to find sleep. The sun had set long ago, and now he couldn't figure out why he wasn't asleep. After a few more minutes, he decided that he just wasn't used to the ground. He jumped up into a tree, and decided that he was more comfortable perched on the branch of a tall tree.

"Funny, Kagome always liked the ground, because she could look at the stars..." He thought. He dismissed her from his mind, as he felt an unfamiliar sensation in his eyes. He blinked a few times, and closed his eyes, eventually falling into a troubled sleep.

Sango came into the village around midnight, only to find that the place was decimated. She had given up all hope, and was about to turn around, when a few survivors came out of the wreckage.

Sango talked to them, and learned that a demon with long flowing white hair and red clothing had attacked the place, mercilessly killing any who got in his way. Sango shook her head, and cursed InuYasha. She offered to help rebuild the village in exchange for some assistance with her arms. At first, the village doctor, who had survived, was hesitant, but finally agreed. He gave her a piece of wood to bite on, and told her that it would be over in a few minutes. He then proceeded to shove her arms back into their sockets, making Sango wince and bite into the wood deeply. Once her first arm was in, she was sweating from the pain. By the time the second arm was in, she was crying openly, never having felt a pain that intense before. Once they were in, they were folded across her chest, and put in a sling. She stayed like that for two weeks, until the pain faded, and her arms regained their full mobility. Once she could move them again, she kept her word, and helped with the remainder of the rebuilding.

InuYasha lived by the water for two weeks, but one morning, he decided to assuage his quilty canscience, and go see the place where he had cut down his only friends. He ran back there, taking about ten minutes to do so. As he slowed to a walk, he began thinking about them all. What they had lived for, and what he had taken away from them. He walked to the place, head down, and eventually, even after two weeks, he began to smell the faded scent of blood. Or maybe it was just his imagination. He stopped at the place where they had died, and was surprised to see that two graves were erected next to each other. He walked over and saw that a tiny stone had been placed at the top of each of the graves. He kneeled down and saw that a rough name had been scratched into each one.

One read Kagome, and the other read Miroku. InuYasha could see by the color of the earth that the graves had been erected recently. Suddenly, he was aware of someone behind him. The wind was blowing from his front to behind him, so he couldn't identify the person by smell. Then the person spoke.

"Kagome is buried there, along with something she was holding in her hand." The speaker said. "It was a tiny golden locket. Inside was a picture of you and her. Even while you were killing her she was still holding onto it." The speakers voice was devoid of emotion, making it hard for InuYasha to tell who it was. "The grave next to her is empty, for there was no trace of Miroku's body, absolutely nothing left to put in his grave." InuYasha could tell it was a female voice.

"Except this."

InuYasha finally turned around, and saw that Sango was holding out her right hand. Wrapped around it was the monks purple cloth that he used to conceal his wind tunnel. InuYasha's eyes widened at the sight of Sango, and he jumped up. In half a second, he had ran the ten feet between them, and Sango found herself being hugged tightly by the hanyou. For a second, she had glimpsed the pain and fear and regret in his eyes, and she was tempted to forgive him. But then she remembered Miroku, and Kagome, ruthlessly cut down by the monster that now stood here hugging her like a lost puppy. She felt her old anger return. Not to mention that he had broken her arms, slammed her face into the ground and caused her immeasurable pain.

"Get off me." She said angrily, thrusting her knife into his stomach. InuYasha fell back, his eyes widening, looking down at the bloody hole in his stomach. He clutched it, and Sango tensed, expecting him to get angry again, and she prepared herself for the fight of her life, one in which she surely might die. She gripped the knife tighter, and waited on his advance.

But he turned away.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble Sango." He said. Sango grimaced. Trouble was hardly the word.

As if sensing her thoughts, he paused to reconsider his words.

"I'm sorry for ruining the life you almost put back together, after you lost your family. I'm sorry for killing your best friend, and your lover." He said. "I'm sorry for everything."

Despite her situation, she felt her cheeks and the back of her neck warm up.

"I liked Miroku, but I was hardly his lover!" She exclaimed. InuYasha nodded. "I'm sorry." He said again, softly. He began walking away, into the forest.

Sango looked at the bloody knife in her hand, and let it drop out of her hand, into the dirt. She had expected InuYasha to fight back, but now it seemed he was changed. She didn't feel like killing him anymore, even though she knew she should, for what he had done. She thought of Miroku again, and picked up her knife. She didn't know how she felt right now, but she was sure of one thing. If she got the chance to kill him, and had a valid reason for it, then she would do it. She sighed, pushed a stray piece of brown hair behind her ear, and followed InuYasha into the woods.


	3. Do you even care?

Pure Anger 3.

InuYasha held onto his stomach lightly, the pain already fading. The wound was not that deep, or large, and InuYasha knew that it easily could have been worse. She could have twisted the knife, then pulled out, or stabbed him, then dragged the dagger sideways. InuYasha knew how much force it took to slice through a human body with a dagger like that, having to go through the layers of skin, muscle, fat, and sometimes even bone. He doubted Sango, in her condition of healing, would have been able to do it, but he knew that she sure could have done some damage if she tried.

The bleeding had stopped, and the ache was a mere memory, as were so many other things. The wind, ever changing, had shifted again, and Sango's scent reached his nose. He knew that she was following him, if not from her scent, then surely from her crashing through the branches and stepping on sticks that lay in her path. He was walking fast, sure, but if she really wanted to get him, all she had to do was wait for a shift in the wind, step lightly, and plunge the dagger into his back. InuYasha sighed, and kept walking, having no idea why she was following him.

Sango glared at the back she followed, and wished she had the strength to do it. She wanted to kill him, for all the things he had done, and all the pain he had caused her, but then she thought of Miroku. While he was her main reason for wanting to kill InuYasha, she had to remember the way he had lived. Although he was a major pervert, he also cared for everyone he had come into contact with, and respected them. She knew he wouldn't want her to attack someone who obviously wouldn't fight back. She glared at InuYasha.

He wouldn't want her to stoop to his level, attacking someone who wasn't a threat.

She sighed, and wondered when he would stop walking. Then she wondered what she was doing following him around. She shrugged. She looked at the knife in her hand, and grimaced at the blood that was drying on the once shiny blade. Sango wished that all this hadn't fallen on her shoulders. She wished that InuYasha hadn't bothered to save her from Naraku, or bothered to promise her to free her brother from Naraku's firm grasp. She gasped, and wondered if InuYasha remembered that promise.

InuYasha finally stopped, back at the water hole where he had lived for two weeks. He sat down in the dirt, and realized that Sango was still behind him. She spotted the water, and grimaced, wondering if she should risk taking a bath, with InuYasha around. Not that he was perverted, like Miroku used to be, but he might attack her while her defenses were down. She shrugged, and knew there was only one way to find out. She quietly asked InuYasha if he would leave so she could bathe. InuYasha nodded, and got up, walking away. Sango waited a few minutes, then slipped off her suit, eyes scanning the bushes around her for any sign of life that was bigger than a squirrel. She found none. She walked into the water, and when she was sure that InuYasha was sufficiently far enough away, she raised her head to the sky, and called out Kirara's name.

A few minutes later, Kirara landed, and she smiled when she saw the the large cat had been surviving just fine for the last week without her. Kirara was clutching the large bone boomerang in her jaws, and now she dropped it onto the ground. Sango waded over to the edge of the water, and patted the large cat on the head. As she did, it purred, and proceeded to shrink into the smaller version of itself.

"Hey Kirara. You look like you've been eating fine for the last week..." She said softly, gently scratching the cats head. The cat purred some more, and curled up on the ground, its tail wrapped tightly around its body. Sango smiled sadly, and figured that she should get to combing its fur out sometime soon. She walked back into the deeper part of the water, and proceeded to wash out all the dirt and grime that had built up in her hair over the last few days. Sango remembered that InuYasha could be coming back anytime soon, and she hurriedly washed up. She got out and slipped into her kimono, tying up the pouch that she had been carrying on her back. Last, but not least, she wrapped Miroku's Wind Tunnel restraint around her right hand, and wished that all her friends were still here. She felt the tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes, and with no one around, she let them fall.

"Jeez, you still crying? It's been two weeks already! Give it up!"

Sango looked behind her and saw InuYasha walking toward her, having come out of the forest. She grew angry at his words, even more so when she saw the uncaring look on his face.

"InuYasha you bastard, shut your mouth before I close it for you!" She said. "You can stop pretending you don't care, you know! There's no one around to see you cry a little bit!" She said. "Or maybe thats it! You really are a heartless bastard who doesn't care!"

InuYasha laughed. "Cry? Cry for who? A snotty bitch, and a tree-hugging pervert, yeah right I'm gonna cry over them!" He said. Sango glared at him, and slipped the knife down from her sleeve into her hand. InuYasha saw the movement and snorted.

"Ohh, gonna get me with your big bad knife now, are ya?" He asked mockingly. Sango finally exploded, all her unspent tears for Miroku and Kagome coming out in a fit of anger. She jumped at him and swiped at his chest with the knife, as InuYasha casually stepped back. She thought better of it, and brought the knife back around, this time a bit higher, for a slash at his exposed throat. InuYasha's eyes widened as the knife got a bit too close for comfort, and he retaliated. He struck her hard in the shoulder, and her arm went numb. She dropped the knife again, and stared at InuYasha, breathing heavily.

"It felt good, didn't it?" He asked. She glared at him, not answering.

"All that anger, rising up inside you, until you just wanna explode and kill the person nearest you, and get all that rage out of you, in a series of bloody movements, whether it be with a knife, a sword, or your own two hands. It felt good, didn't it?"

Sango shook her head, feeling to her arm returning.

"No, it didn't feel good, it just made me feel like you." She said. "A dirty, self-loathing, hateful spiteful bastard who can't control himself, and finds a reason in his unjust anger to take two lives, and attempt to take a third." She said, lacing every word with hate.

InuYasha narrowed his eyes.

"I said I was sorry, I tried to be nice to you, I could have killed you, and your stupid piece of shit knife wouldn't have helped you any, but I held back. And this is how I get treated?" He asked.

"You better run, Sango, and very fast. You better hope that I don't find you, because when I do, I swear you will take so long to die, your gonna wish I was just breaking your arms." He said, flexing his claws. The old anger was back, blocking out any thoughts of self control.

"Oh yeah? Are you sure you can finish the job this time?" She asked. She tried not to show it, but she was terrified right now.

InuYasha took a step closer. "Don't push me Sango, or this whole forest will taste your blood." He said.

Sango folded her arms and shook her head.

"I don't have to stand here and listen to what your saying InuYasha, cause I don't care about a single thing that comes out of your mouth." She said dismissively. "Your useless." She turned around, and walked away, into the forest. Her hands were shaking, but she kept her arms folded to hide it.

"That's right, just walk away. Just walk away before I kill you. Cause your day is coming, and you will be screaming like never before. I swear I will kill you, you bitch, you have it coming." InuYasha muttered angrily. He closed his eyes, and willed himself to not follow her and beat the hell out of her. He waited until she was probably deep into the forest, then he unleashed all his anger.

"FUCK!" He drew his sword, and slammed it into the ground, an immense Wind Scar forming, tearing up part of the forest. It was the quickest way to release energy, and he did it over and over again, until he felt himself calming down.

He thought he was calm, until Sango's annoying voice popped into his head.

"Stupid bitch!" He screamed, punching anything that got in his way. He loved punching. It was the easiest way to express your anger, and the angrier you were, the more damage that was done. There were no immediate trees in the area, being a clearing and all, so he aimed for the nearest available hard object. It was a boulder. He was strong, but it was still solid rock, and he cried out in pain as his fist crashed into the rock, breaking at least 3 small bones in his hand. He swore a few times, but inside he was sated. He hated posers that would punch anything, so long as it was soft, yet looked hard. Punching rocks and real hard stuff like that was a tribute to his anger, and he didn't care which took more damage, his fist, or the object he was punching, as long as he burned off the angry energy. He cursed, and cradled his throbbing hand. His anger had pretty much depleted by now, and he was just tired. Too tired to care. He laid down and tried to sleep, not caring that he hadn't eaten in 2 days. Not caring if Sango came back in the middle of the night to slit his throat, to leave his body where it was while his heart pumped all his blood out of his body. He didn't care if she killed him, or even if she gave him a proper burial after he was killed.

He felt that weird sensation in his eyes again, and this time, a tear coursed down his cheek, and dropped into the dirt. He wiped the moisture off his cheek, and reprimanded himself sharply for crying, telling himself that no real man would cry.

"I don't know who that bitch is to tell me that I'm heartless, and that I don't care..." He muttered to himself. "I'll fucking decide if I care or not, not some overworked bitch with a chip on her shoulder."

With that, he drifted into an uneasy sleep, for Sango didn't return until late that night, her sharpened blade held at the ready... 


	4. Make Your Life Hell

Pure Anger 4.

Sango crept back into the camp, and clutched the knife tight, in case InuYasha was awake. He often was at this time of night, and back before InuYasha slaughtered everyone, she was sure that he only slept for about three hours before dawn a night. She sat down a few feet away from him, and decided that his breathing was too even to be faked, even when she leaned over him and put her mouth by his nose, to feel his warm breath by her ear. She backed away, satisfied, and decided to get some sleep. She laid down, and closed her eyes, wishing that everything would go back to normal when she woke up. She sighed, and wondered if what she wanted to do was right. She now doubted her intentions of killing him, for she knew that neither Miroku nor Kagome would want that. She wondered if she should kill her only remaining link to the sane world. Despite what he had done to her, he could be forgiven...right?

She thought of Miroku, and her eyes teared up. Her heart hardened, and she shook her head. Someone up there might forgive him, but not her. She wouldn't have to kill him, but she didn't exactly have to make his remaining time on this earth all that friendly either.

With those thoughts floating around inside her head, she finally passed out, getting the sleep she much deserved.

InuYasha awoke the next morning, and the first thing he saw when he woke up was food set in front of him. He sniffed the delicious food, and as he woke up, Sango backstabbing him and hurting him was the last thing on his mind. He sat up, and regarded her warily, for she sat across from him, casually sipping water out of one of Kagome's old bottles.

"What's this?" He asked, eyeing the fish and rice.

Sango shrugged. "Well, to the untrained eye, it appears to be a breakfast, but to the one who knows all, its actually fresh fish and rice and vegatables." She said dryly.

InuYasha wrinkled his nose at her tone, but started to eat it anyway, hungry as he was.

"What's it for?" He asked. Sango shrugged again, and this time she kept her eyes on the ground in front of her. "For me stabbing you, I never meant it, honest."

InuYasha nodded. "It's good." He said awkwardly, knowing that he would have to be careful. Him and Sango were far from friends again, but if he was careful, he just might have a companion. An uneasy companion.

He ate it as fast as he could, for he hadn't eaten in two days.

"Ya know, I haven't eaten in almost two days." He said. "I was starving but too depressed to do anything about it." He paused, and continued eating. "I'm really glad you did this for me, Sango." He said. Sango nodded.

_Oh, InuYasha, your screwed now. Your not gonna eat another thing for at least a week now._

She eyed the food he was shovelling into his mouth with distaste. It was laced with an odorless, tasteless poison, and he would soon be ill from it. If he didn't die, then he most certainly wouldn't be eating again for another week. Or moving. He would be reduced to a sweating, feverish weakling curled up in the fetal position, sick as a dog. She smiled at that. He wouldn't even be able to speak, for the pain would be so bad.

"InuYasha, I would drink lots of water if I were you." She said, and InuYasha was immediately on guard.

"Why...?" He asked, wary now of the last bite of fish that he was about to shove into his mouth with the chopsticks that had been in the bowl. He slowly looked into the bottom of the bowl, and pushed some of the rice around with a chopstick. He then recognised the worlds third known strongest poison pooling in the bottom of the bowl. It might have been odorless and tasteless, but it was still noticeable in that, it couldn't mix with water. He noticed about half a centimeter of the greasy looking liquid in the bottom of the bowl, and wondered if that had been poured over his rice and fish. If so, then he was aleady dead, and he was living on borrowed time.

He looked up at Sango, and she nodded. InuYasha felt his stomach twist, and he wasn't sure if it was from fear, or if the poison was doing its work. He threw his bowl away, and started running toward the trees. He stopped behind a bush, and hurriedly gathered his hair in his hand, holding it behind his head. He closed his eyes, as his stomach twisted and churned, making him feel like he was going to throw up. He knew he needed to, and thats what he wanted, even though he hated throwing up. It always scared him, having his stomach revolt and temporarily block his air as all the stuff he ate was forced out of his body through his mouth. He took deep breaths, trying to oxygenate his blood so that he didn't feel so bad when he threw up. He opened his eyes, and everything in front of his eyes was out of focus. He blinked a few times, and realized that he was sweating profusely. He groaned, and felt his stomach heave. He leaned forward, and threw up all the food he just ate. Not to mention, he had been pretty hungry so he had gulped down the fish in chunks, and now it hurt pretty bad coming back up. He waited until his airway was clean, before drawing in a deep breath, his chest heaving.

"You bitch!" He yelled, looking back over his shoulder to glare at her. The motion made his stomach uneasy, and he missed Sango's calm smile as he turned around again to throw up.

He wiped his mouth, and felt his body heating up. It was the fever, and it was coming on unbelievably fast. He felt his vision blurring again, and this time it wasn't just from the sweat in his eyes. The poison was working its way through his body, and ravaging anything it came into contact with. In a few minutes it would reach his brain, and the biggest fight InuYasha would ever be in would take place, and his tetsusaiguia couldn't do anything about it. The poison slowly transformed into a virus, infecting and taking over as many of his cells as it could, to ensure the survival of the poison/virus.

InuYasha stumbled over to the spot he had cleared in the dirt, and just had time to sit down when the virus attacked his nervous system, paralysing his muscles, and preventing him from feeling any pain...for a little while, anyway.

InuYasha thudded into the dirt, wondering what kind of hell he would endure. He had heard stories about this stuff, and he hoped to God that none of it was true. A few minutes later, his vision was out, fading from being able to see clearly, to having rings of gray around the edges of his vision, to having them turn completely black. InuYasha felt fear creeping up in him at the loss of his sight, and he could hear Sango moving around beside him. At one point she was standing right beside him, probably taking pleasure in his pitiful condition. How he longed to lash out and hit her, but his muscles were paralysed. Just then, the virus stopped numbing the pain. And it felt like his body was on fire. InuYasha screamed, but could do nothing else. He couldn't move, couldn't see, couldn't do anything other than wait for this virus to run it's course. And this virus usually lasted for a week, or more. InuYasha was in for hell.

The virus left his nerves, and concentrated on his skin. The virus slowly ate at it, reducing it to nothing. On the surface, small tears in the skin were slowly forming, and widening. InuYasha could now say that he knew what it was like to be cut open from the inside. Cuts as long as six inches were forming on his back and stomach, with smaller ones on his legs and arms. None of them were six inches yet, but by the end of the week, they would be. InuYasha, now paralysed, sick, blind, and drenched in his own blood, was starting to regret the fact that he was ever alive to begin with, and it was only 13 minutes into the deadly virus. It was expected to last a week. Well, the virus would last a week. But no one knew if InuYasha would die of blood loss or not, before his body managed to fight off the infection. InuYasha, as sane as he could be with every imaginable part of his body aching and screaming in pain, knew that this was nothing. During the last two days of the virus, the virus would leave his body alone, save for his heart and his lungs. It would ravage his lungs, filling them with liquid, attempting to drown him. Simultaneously, it would work on his heart, eating through the heart tissue and causing a vast amount of undesirable problems.

InuYasha knew the survival rate of people that drank this poison were about 1 person in 100,000. And, InuYasha reflected, trying to take his mind off the pain, that was with help from the outside, to mop up the infected blood, to give you water and other liquids, to keep you safe from preying animals that would make a quick snack of you, to protect you from the elements. InuYasha knew he had none of that here, for he seriously doubted that Sango would administer the poison, then nurse him back to health.

No, InuYasha was all alone, in the biggest fight of his life.

Sango smirked at InuYasha, who was obviously in a lot of pain. She bent over him to stare into his lifeless, glassy, blind eyes. She shrugged, picked up her Hiraikotsu, and walked away. She figured that the virus would make quick work of him, once she left. She grinned. If the wild wolves and other animals didn't first.


	5. Virus? What Virus?

Pure Anger Chapter 5.

InuYasha writhed around on the ground, in agony. He now had mobility, and if he could, he would have gotten up and ran after the bitch Sango, and slain her on the spot. He glared at the spot in the forest she had dissappeared to a few hours ago, and swore that if he ever saw her then he'd kill her on the spot.

_'When will it end?'_ He asked himself. _'Who will take the first step in stopping all this?'_ InuYasha grimaced as another sharp pain erupted in his stomach, and he instinctively rolled onto his side, heaving dry heaves. There was nothing left to throw up, and there hadn't been for the last couple hours. InuYasha laid back down as the pain subsided...for now.

He stared straight up into the blue sky, and tried to not imagine what was happening inside his body. Unfortunately, as another peircing pain hit him, he could feel it, he wouldn't have to imagine it. Desperately he tried to think of a cure, and for some reason he knew that the answer was waiting just outside his grasp, just waiting to be discovered. He sighed, then squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the skin on his arm slowly tearing open as the virus ate through him. He tried to contain the scream, but the pain got too bad, and he couldn't stop it. The terrorized scream of pain was ripped from his lungs as his head exploded in a flash of white lights and dizzying blurs.

Sango stopped, and smiled when she heard a distant scream. It sounded like someone was in quite a bit of pain, and it sounded like they were scared for their life. She shook her head, and kept on walking, not giving a damn about InuYasha. She drew her katana and slashed a few saplings out of the way, and continued trekking. She had her head down and was thinking hard, wondering if what she was doing was the right thing. Her eyes hardened, and she asked herself if InuYasha was right to cut down all her friends.

But he wasn't sane at the time, argued a voice in her head. You are.

She dismissed this thought, but it kept coming back. Help him. Help him. Don't let him die. You'll never forgive yourself. You think you feel bad now, wait until your last connection to your old life dies, at your hands. She finally got so angry at herself, she slashed her sword sideways, imbedding it into a tree. She cursed, and tugged on the handle, trying to get it out.

"Come on you stupid sword, come out and I'll go back to check on InuYasha!"

And just like that, her sword came out of the tree truck, and Sango fell flat on her bum. She moaned, and stood up, realizing that she faintly recognised the place she was in. She cautiously took a few steps forward, and realized that she had unconsciously walked in a giant circle, right back into the clearing that she had left InuYasha in. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw what was in the middle of the clearing.

"Dear God..."

InuYasha had it. He had the key. He knew what he had to do to get rid of the virus. He had to transform into a full demon. Then the virus would be annihilated. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He envisioned everything he hated. He thought of all the times he had been picked on and abused by other children when he was a kid, he thought of all the wounds he had taken. He could feel his blood heating up. His breath started coming faster, and he kept at it. He thought of all the pain he had suffered, the pain he was suffering now, and all the pain he wanted to inflict. Almost there. His demon blood was howling now, raging to be set free. He thought of Sango, what she had done to him, and he thought of the virus, and what it was doing to him. He imagined in great detail what he would do to both of them, if he could. That did it. He snapped. His blood transformed, and his eyes flushed red, and a feral growl issued from his throat. Then, like magic, the virus was gone. Ineffective. Useless against him. His demon blood destroyed it. He grinned savagely, and turned around, coming face to face with Sango. He glared at her, and flexed his razor sharp claws, taking a slow step toward her. She froze, and her muscles tensed up. InuYasha inhaled through his nostrils, smelling her absolute fear. He grinned, exposing his fangs. It was time to kill.

A/N Please review.


	6. True Intentions

Pure Anger Chapter 6.

InuYasha looked at Sango, and his mind associated her with the poison that had been wracking his body just a few minutes earlier. His claws flexed, seemingly of their own will, and he detected slight muscle contractions in Sango's legs. He inhaled deeply, and his mind was overwhelmed by her fear. He could smell her nervous sweating. His mind continued to associate Sango, the weak human standing in front of him with pain, and and the cause of his anger, the main source of his troubles. His legs quivered, but something held him back from attacking her, some tiny thing in the back of his head that was screaming rationality at him. He refused to listen. He blinked once, and missed nothing. Sango didn't dare to move, and the only movement that he detected was the wind, and the tall blades of grass that hid Sango's feet. InuYasha wanted to attack her, to bloody his claws, to impale her, then rip her apart from the inside. He could feel his breath coming faster at all these thoughts, and they excited him, pumping adrenaline through-out his body, setting him on edge. But he still couldn't attack.

Sango stared at the demon in front of her, less than ten feet away, and she knew that if she blinked at the wrong time, then he would have his claws around her throat by the time her eyes opened again. Or worse. She swallowed nervously, and the attentive demon noticed, his left ear flicking forward to better catch the noise, while his right ear simultaneously rotated behind him, keeping his guard up. Sango didn't know how much longer she could hold the position she was in, standing with her right leg forward, her left leg behind her, for she had frozen as soon as she had stepped into the clearing. She concentrated on InuYasha, looking for any signs that he was about to attack, but he stayed where he was, legs slightly bent, pure red eyes focused on her.

Her breath caught in her throat. He was missing the blue pupils that signified a full demon transformation. Did that mean that he wasn't fully transformed, and therefor not as deadly as a full demon, or did it mean that he was over the edge, and balancing on insanity?

She blinked a drop of sweat out of her vision, and tried to focus on InuYasha. Slowly, ever so slowly, InuYasha started to move. She moved only her eyes as she watched the dangerous animal move around, and she tried to keep her eyes off his as much as possible. It was common knowledge that looking a dog in the eye was a challenge to it, and the last thing she wanted to do was agravate it more than it already was.

InuYasha was ready to kill her. Here she was, just standing there, waiting for him to slash her throat open. His mind again associated the human in front of him with the pain he had suffered a few minutes before, and now his demon side was demanding action. InuYasha gave in, slowly moving around. He took an ever so slow step to his left, and circled around her. He noticed how her eyes followed him, and from her gaze he judged she was watching his torso. He opened his mouth slowly, and revealed all the deadly fangs in his mouth. A spike of fear was detected in her already fear-laden scent. He wondered how it would taste to bury his teeth deep into her throat. His hungry gaze flicked to her bare neck, and he immediately had thoughts of a different kind. He shook them off, and continued circling around her. Now she was forced to slowly turn her head, to watch him. He took a cautious step forward, and her more relaxed muscles froze up again. He continued stalking her, never taking direct steps toward her, but always circling left and right, then one step forward, then more steps to the side. He was playing with her. He wished she would turn and run, so he could have the pleasure of stalking and hunting her. He grinned savagely as he saw how tired she was of holding the same pose. He could see her leg muscles quivering uncontrollably, and he itched to end her fatigue, with a single slash of the claws, or bite from his powerful jaws.

Sango, tired as she was, having been here almost ten minutes, groaned inwardly. She had noticed that he had been slowly creeping closer, and she was waiting for the attack that was sure to follow, once he was in range. She quickly reviewed her weapons, knowing that her katana was in it's sheath, and her Hiraikotsu was behind her, on the groune where she had dropped it after seeing InuYasha. She knew that she had a tiny blade in her waist band, requiring less room to draw, unlike a katana, and would be swifter and easier to guide between InuYasha's ribs. She noticed that he had worked his way closer, and she immediately got ready to dodge whatever attack he might throw at her. She wondered who would make the first move.

InuYasha, tiring of this game, was about to cut her open with his claws, when a thought struck him. While she was the main cause of his pain, wasn't he the original one who hurt her? And he hurt her way more than she had hurt him. She had given him almost a half hour of intense physical pain, but he had given her weeks of intense physical and mental pain, and anguish. Who really deserved to be attacked? He shook his head, freeing himself from those kind of thoughts. They would only get him killed anyway. He once more advanced on Sango, this time lashing out with all his speed. She was pitiful, and no matter what kind of guard she had, no matter how hard she analysed his moves, it came down to the sad truth. He was a demon, and she was a weak human.

A half a second later, his had was around her throat. She winced, and squeezed her eyes closed. InuYasha grinned. He had played the waiting game, then struck with all the speed in his body. And here was his reward for waiting. He had his prey firmly in his grasp, and his prey was defenseless. He tightened his grip a bit, and she whined, hands clawing ineffectually against his iron grip. He raised her up a bit, and the movement required absolutely no effort. Her toes were scraping against the dirt, trying to get a purchase to push herself up on. InuYasha brought her closer to his face, and he scowled at her. She should know it was useless to try. Then he broke out into a fanged grin. But it was fun to watch them try. Yes, totally defenseless. Or so he thought.

Sango had started to cry. The tears coursed down her face, yet she never made a sound. InuYasha could hear her breathing become unstable, and he lowered her for a second, confused. Her feet were now flatly on the ground. The next thing to go was his grip. It loosened, but his demon nature was still in control. It didn't loosen very much. He was confused, and didn't know what to do. She was supposed to scream and kick, making it fun. Sango kept her eyes closed.

"Do it." She whispered, her voice broken. "Just do it, kill me, get it over." She said. "I give up. I tried, and failed. Kill me, InuYasha."

At the mention of his name, his eyes widened. Yes, that was right, his name was InuYasha, Dog Forest Demon. Half demon. What he was doing as a full demon, he had no idea. His grip loosened a bit more, but still not enough for her to slip out. He glared at her, and snarled, causing her to yelp. She had tried to contain her emotions, but that broke her. Her crying got worse, and she squeezed her eyes closed, begging him not to do it. InuYasha, too far gone to realize that she was begging and whining for him to leave her alone, everything he wanted, she was doing. She feared him. He was strong. Then why didn't he teach this bitch a lesson and kill her? Make her feel the pain he had felt?

"She's felt enough pain!"

Sango, not knowing what was going on inside his head, was confused by his voiced words. And the tone. It didn't have the tone of a demon to it, rather, it sounded like the old InuYasha. She was confused, but hoped that this offered a way out. InuYasha was staring at her, anger contorting his face. She could feel the muscles in his arms and fingers tensing, and it was obvious that one part of him wanted to crush her and tear her open, while one side of him was holding him back. His grip wasn't getting tighter, but it wasn't getting looser. And his fingers were quivering like they could be let go any second, to squeeze until she was dead.

"Sannnnggooo!!!"

It started as a growl, but by the end of her name it was coming out of his throat as an angry scream. And she was terrified. InuYasha had all his old rage back. That, and he was a full demon, it was no wonder she wasn't dead already. Something was holding him back, but she didn't know if it would last.

"I'm gonna fucking KILL you!" He screamed, his blood red eyes on her. Shaking badly, his free hand came up, balling into a loose fist, wary of his own claws. Slowly, his arm drew back, and Sango was defenseless against his oncoming punch. Then InuYasha got a sadistic thought. Hand still shaking badly, as if someone was trying to resist his actions, his hand unfurled, his inch and a half long claws pointing straight out. At her. She briefly wondered what that would feel like going through her, then decided she would find out soon enough. InuYasha's hand trembling, he gathered up all the power he had, then launched his hand forward.

"NOOOO!"

The scream, surprisingly, wasn't from Sango. It was from InuYasha. Her voice was frozen. InuYasha's hand, with razor sharp nails held straight out toward her, was thrust toward her face with such intense speed, all she could do was close her eyes and hope that the pain didn't last too long. She felt a deep slash on her cheek, and then she screamed, feeling blood splash down her cheek, running over her neck. But it was only his thumb claw that had struck her. At the last second, his hand had been turned, and only his thumb claw had scraped by her. She drew in a shuddering breath, opening her eyes slowly. InuYasha, his attacking arm still thrust out, over her shoulder, had his head down, shoulders trembling.

InuYasha stared at the girl and decided to uncurl his hand. His sharp nails were inches from her face. He would run them straight through those fear filled eyes of hers. But something was wrong. This whole time he was being resisted, by someone weak. Someone that cried out for him to spare her. He growled softly. Weak. He tensed up his arm, feeling resistance, and put all his power into his arm. As soon as he released the dominant muscle in his arm, the arm would shoot forward so fast it would probably rip her head in half. He loved that thought. He tensed up a bit more, then, with some difficulty, released the muscle. His arm soared toward, her, but at the last second, when he dropped his guard to fully enjoy her last screams of pain, the weak one took over, adjusting his arm so that it slashed over her shoulder, instead of into her face. He cursed inwardly, but was grinning as he realized his thumb claw had scraped across her face, releasing some of her sweet hot blood. Then something snapped. The weak one became strong. It was growling at him for hurting Sango, and it wanted revenge.

_You'll never be strong enough..._

_You'll never be good enough..._

_You will never rise above me, I will rule. Bow down. NOW!_

Shaking, InuYasha released Sango, and she collapsed to the ground. InuYasha clutched his head. The weak ones voice was strong now, raging at him. Driving him insane. He had to get out. He screamed angrily, and swiped his sharp claws inches above Sango's head as she hugged the ground, shaking. He wasn't in control anymore. It angered him. He desperately wanted to kill Sango, but the weak one, the hanyou, was strong now, slamming him over and over again, forcing him back. InuYasha stumbled backwards, and Sango looked up at him in fear, wondering what was going on. InuYasha let out a growl, which quickly turned into the screams that Sango had learned to fear. InuYasha fell to his knees, then was quiet. He raised his head slowly, and his eyes were closed. He slowly opened them, and stared at Sango.


	7. Building Burnt Bridges

Pure Anger 7.

InuYasha opened his eyes, and stared directly at Sango. She winced, then looked back at him, her breathing uneven and shaky. Then she sighed in relief. His eyes were golden again. That sweet, light gold that told her that everything was okay. Or as okay as it was going to get. The experience with his demon side had scared her and she didn't ever want to face that again. InuYasha, on his knees, stared at her for the longest time, and she stared back. Then, InuYasha tilted his head to the side, giving her a quizzical look.

"Your cheek is cut." He said, matter-of-factly. Almost like he didn't know what had happened. But he did. Sango was sure he did. After all, it was him who had done it, right?

Sango nodded, and attempted to stand. She couldn't. Her legs were to shaky. She sighed, glad to be alive, and laid down on the grass. Her hand on the tiny knife in her waist band, just in case. InuYasha got up, and Sango was immediately alert. But InuYasha merely went to the hot spring. She sighed, and closed her eyes, relaxing. She hadn't done that in a while. She heard him splashing around in the water, and relaxed further. As long as she could hear that sound, it was obvious that he was nowhere near her.

InuYasha dipped his head underwater, and held it there for a few seconds, opening his eyes. He glanced around, but there wasn't much to see. He came back up, gasping for air, and he cast a glance at Sango. She was laying down in the grass, about 15 feet away. He shook his head, water droplets flying off his hair. He took off his shirt, and ripped off a small piece of the white haori underneath, off the sleeve. He dipped it in the water, and walked slowly over to Sango. He asked her to sit up, but she didn't acknowledge him. He scowled. He could have killed her, and she didn't even have the thanks enough to respond to him. He thought these thoughts without his usual anger, and for once it surprised him. He shook it off, and walked a little closer, realizing that she was asleep, passed out from exhaustion. He grinned. What better opportunity could he have asked for? He ignored the demon inside of him, and he gripped the white cloth in his fangs, freeing both hands. He gently picked her up, and carried her over to the edge of the water. He gently laid her back down, and hesitated. He timidly reached out and gripped her face in his hands. For the first time, he realized that she was quite pretty. He blushed at the thought. He tilted her head to the right, exposing her cut left cheek. He started wiping off the dried blood, revealing soft skin. He knew she would still have a bath when she woke up, but for now he was intent on getting the blood off. The white rag slowly turned red, from repeated wipings of her cheek and neck. He paused, and reached behind him, dipping the bloody rag in the water behind him. He squeezed it out one handed, and resumed wiping her off, better revealing the cut. It was long, and deep, but it was clean. The wound wasn't jagged or wide, so it would heal relatively fast. Might be a tiny scar, but she was a demon slayer, God knew where else she had scars.

That thought made him blush again, and he banished it from his mind. He could see that the blood had dripped inside the collar of her demon slayer suit, but he wasn't willing to go down that far. He would have to undo her suit to do that, and he wouldn't allow himself to do that. Having done all he could, he turned around, throwing the bloody rag away. He slipped on his red haori, then thought better of it when a sudden chill decended on the air. He shrugged it off again, and dropped it over Sango's prone form, not even looking to see where it landed. After a few seconds, he grudgingly turned around, and straightened it out over her body. He turned around again, and looked up into the sky, wondering why. Why he got so mad, and did stuff he knew that he was going to regret. He almost killed another person tonight, and it disturbed him. He didn't want to be this angry, or if he was this angry, he sure diidn't want to release it so destructively. There had to be a better way. A way that was better than killing everyone that you seemed to hate at that time, when you were angry. He bowed his head and drew up his knees, resting his forehead on his knees. He felt so bad inside, and he wished that Sango would forgive him. Could forgive him, after what he had done. But it wasn't very likely. He just couldn't seem to get a grip on his anger, and it was eating through him, now that he wanted to change. He could be the happiest person in the world if he wanted to stay like this, killing everyone who got in his way. But he didn't want that. He wanted to get better. He didn't feel Sango's gaze on his back, for he was deep in his thoughts.

Sango awoke a short time later, and realized that she had passed out from her exhausting ordeal. She felt a spike of fear as she realized that she had been moved, then calmed down when she saw that InuYasha was near, but his back was to her. She stared at his back medatively for a few minutes before realizing two things. One, his back was white, instead of his regular red. Second, the red that he was missing, she had found it. She grinned lopsidely down at herself as she felt the warmth radiating off his fire-rat fur. She also realized that the blood that had coated her cheek and neck was gone, washed away. She supposed that was InuYasha's doing also. She supressed a sigh, and laid back down. She remembered what InuYasha had done to her, and she quietly threw off the fire-rat cloth, disgusted with InuYasha and his sudden kindness. She lay there in her slayer suit, and wondered if InuYasha was ignoring her. Then she had another thought. Why did she care?

She looked up at the darkening sky, and shivered. InuYasha hadn't seriously wounded or killed her, and it was obvious that he could have. But he didn't. There was some kindness there. She looked longingly at the fire-rat cloth she had discarded, then decided that she would sleep with it. InuYasha had proven that he was at least capable of kindness. Plus she was a bit cold. She grabbed it, and laid it over herself, drawing it up to her chin. She stared at the cloud streaked sky for a while, before she felt her eyelids grow heavy. She cast one last glance at InuYasha, before closing her eues, drifting off to sleep. As she fell into the darkness and rest that sleep offered, she was conscious of inhaling InuYasha's faint scent. And she was aware that she mildly liked it.

InuYasha awoke the next morning, and groaned. The sun was shining in his eyes, and he opened them slowly, squinting. As his senses awoke one by one, he became aware of something touching his head. He waited a few seconds in silence, trying to think back to what had happened last night. Then he remembered. He shivered, and skipped over the brutal attack, and the last thing he remembered was laying back when he got too tired. Apparently laying down had brought him too close to Sango, for her hand now rested very close to his head, her fingers laced in his hair. He smiled sadly, and wondered how much longer this state of peace would last. He managed to stay like that for an hour, before Sango woke up, and in that hour, he found himself wishing that he could make peace between him and Sango. He wished that he could have a normal life, a beautiful mate like Sango, (he wouldn't admit to himself that it would be nice to have Sango as a mate), and to have his mate love him.

Sango awoke, and the first thing she realized was that she was very, very comfortable, wrapped up in InuYasha's haori. She realized that sometime during the night her hand had fell from her stomach to her side, becoming tangled in InuYasha's messy silver hair. She blushed at the close contact, and slowly removed her hand, fearful of pulling his hair. Not that she didn't want to hurt him, she told herself, it's just that she didn't want to risk pissing him off, and get him angry again.

She sighed, as InuYasha got up, walking down to the waters edge. She saw him kneel down, and bend over, pulling the fire-rat cloth tight against his ass. She let her eyes examine him, and couldn't help but notice that it was a rather nice ass. It was nice, she told herself, but nothing to get excited about.

Yeah, right.

She sighed, and looked away, hearing splashing sounds coming from InuYasha's direction. She couldn't help but look over again, and she giggled when she saw him. His legs were spread apart, and the cloth was still tight around his body, which she tried to ignore. That's not what made her giggle though. He was bent down over the hot-spring, knees in the dirt, hands on the ground, eyes closed, lapping up the water. She giggled again, and this time he heard, for he looked over. She shut up, and hurriedly looked away. She told herself that she wasn't in too much of a hurry to try to befriend him again anyway, for who knew when he'd go crazy and try to attack her again. Best be on guard for now. She sat up, and the fire-rat fur fell around her waist. She yawned, and ran her fingers through her messy morning hair, trying to straighten it. Somehow the elastic holding it in a pony-tail had either come out, broken, or InuYasha had taken it out when he laid her down. She didn't know, and didn't care, for she could always get another one. She decided to leave it out for now, seeing as she really had no choice. She had no elestics, and she doubted if InuYasha had one, even though he did have long hair. She got up, and picked up the fire-rat cloth. As she walked by InuYasha, she softly dropped it on his shoulders, whispering her embarrassed thanks. There was no answer, but then again, she didn't expect one. It would have been too akward anyway. It would have required her to respond, thus creating conversation. And she was sure that neither of them were ready for that yet. She went about her business for a few hours, sharpening her sword, digging around in the bushes where she was attacked by InuYasha for her Hiraikotsu, and gathering some supplies. After this was done, and the sun was high in the sky, and InuYasha _still _hadn't moved from the side of the water, she had enough. She had been moving around all day, and sweating, and she was dirty from digging for buried vegatables, and she was all sore from yesterday.

"Move." She said. InuYasha's ears flicked toward her, but otherwise there was no response. She could have expected that. An ear twitch was all she got. Such an InuYasha-type response. She almost had to suppress a grin.

"I mean it InuYasha, go away for a while, I need to take a bath. I stink, and I'm dirty, and I'm sore, and I'm too damn tired to put up with you right now." She said. InuYasha slowly turned to cast his somber golden gaze on her, and for a second she felt a flicker of fear. Had she pissed him off?

Then he nodded.

"Okay, I'll be back in about an hour." He said softly, with no trace of anger or distress in his voice. It was almost, neutral, devoid of emotion. Sango frowned temporarily, but then dismissed it. She couldn't worry about a hanyou right now. She waited a few minutes for him to move far enough away, then started to undress. Once undressed, she looked in the still water's reflection, to see just how far down InuYasha had cleaned the blood from last night. The cheek and neck was clean, devoid of blood, but the dried blood started roughly where the collar of her slayer suit ended. A bit of water had dripped down inside her collar, streaking the blood, but aside from that, the blood had ran down from her cheek all the way to the top of her breast. She smiled sadly at the ruffled reflection staring back at her, and then remembered that she was totally naked. She slipped into the water, lest anybody be watching. And she had to admit, it wasn't InuYasha she was worried about peeping. It was anybody else that would be walkign around. She quickly scrubbed up so that she could enjoy the remainder of the hour she had, soaking in the hot water, alone with her thoughts, providing her with time to think.

_Why the hell didn't InuYasha kill me? It was obvious that his demon side wanted to kill me, and his hanyou side wasn't too fond of me either, so thats a total mystery. I wonder what was running through his mind when he kept himself from stabbing me. Why?_

She pondered the questions running through her mind for a little while longer, before becoming frustrated. She had no answers to these questions. She shrugged, and decided to put it out of her mind.

"Aww, I guess InuYasha will be back soon, I'd better get out soon." She said softly, to herself.

"I already am back." A voice said. Sango gasped, and whirled around, seeing InuYasha sitting on a rock, not too far up the shore. He had his arms crossed, and his right leg resting on his left knee. He was hugging his sword like he usually did, and he wore his customary scowl. Sango sunk lower into the water, even though her chest was already covered. Just to be safe, she put her hands over her chest.

InuYasha rolled his eyes.

"Jeez Sango, I might have attacked you and tried to kill you, then attacked you again and didn't kill you, but I'm never going to peek. I'm not that bad, and you don't interest me that way, anyway." He said flatly, trying to control his voice. And he really hadn't seen anything.

"I've only been here five minutes, and all I saw the whole time was your back."

Sango nodded, but her mind was stuck on what he said before that. _You dont interest me that way, anyway._

Trying to keep the hurt out of her voice, she asked a question. "I-I don't interest you that way, huh?" She asked. InuYasha shook his head. "Nope. Sorry." He said.

Sango wondered why she was so disappointed. She tried to cover it up with another question. "You sure you didn't see anything?" She asked, a bit more force in her voice,

InuYasha nodded. "Yes, I'm sure." He said. "Now I'm going to turn around for two minutes. In that time, I want you out of there, because I need a bath. After two minutes, I'm hauling you bodily out, and it's my turn." He said, snottily.

Sango grumbled under her breath. "Yeah, yeah..."

_Damn, maybe it's good that he's not interested in me, he sounds like a major pain in the ass. _

She was about to raise herself up out of the water, when she thought she should check first. She quickly looked behind her, and sure enough, he had his back turned to her. She stood up, then realized that while she was all clean, she would be putting on dirty clothes.

"Aww, dammit!" She cried. InuYasha, on reflex, was about to turn, when he realized that Sango was probably trying to get him too. And there was no way he was going to get labeled as a perv as well as an idiot half demon with anger issues.

"What!?" He called back over his shoulder, silently counting down her time.

"I'm all clean and stuff, but my clothes are still dirty!" She said. InuYasha huffed. Guess he would have to cover for the bitch again. He took off his haori and threw it back over his shoulder, Sango barely catching it before it fell into the water. She held it up.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" She asked. InuYasha sighed. He really was dealing with an idiot.

"Put it on." Was his sarcastic, blunt answer.

For a second, Sango considered throwing it back at him, but then realized that she was running out of time, and she quickly slipped it on, realizing how big it was against her bare skin. Her hands were hidden within the long sleeves, and it easily came down to her knees.

"How do I hold it closed?" She asked. InuYasha sighed again, this time louder.

"You know that it was those type of repetitive stupid questions that got Kagome killed, right!?" He asked angrily, yanking off the tie to his pants and throwing it over his shoulder. When there was no response, he realized that he had said the wrong thing. He waited a few seconds to see if she would hit him.

"Uh, Sango?" He said softly.

A few seconds later she responded. "Yeah, well, you seem incapable of killing me, so I don't think I have anything to worry about." She said.

InuYasha fell silent. A few seconds later, she walked out of the water, his haori tight around her body, the sleeves completely covering her hands, and his tie around her slender waist. Her form was very visible, as well as a lot of cleavage, because his shirt was big, and the 'V' of the neck hung down and revealed a lot. His gaze travelled lower, and he saw that she had a very very nice legs.

"Starting to wish you hadn't told me I didn't interest you that way, eh InuYasha?" She said playfully, stepping one bare foot up onto a rock, the bottom of his shirt riding up a bit. InuYasha swallowed, and shook his head.

"No, I'm starting to wish that you weren't such an eyesore." He said. "Your flat, and you have fat legs, and your hair is a mess. Why don't you actually clean yourself up for once?" He asked, a bit harshly.

Sango scowled. "Fine, be that way." She said. She wouldn't admit it, but his words hurt. And she didn't know why. He wasn't interested in her anyway, and never would be, why was she caring? Did she like him?

"I sure as hell don't." She grumbled to herself.

InuYasha watched her walk away, and had to forcefully advert his eyes from her backside. Of course everything he said was a complete lie. She was very big in the chest, not terribly so, but just the right size. Her legs were slender and long, curvy in all the right places, and her hips were wide and flaring up to a narrow waist. And he really liked it when her hair was down, she looked incredibly sexy. But he wasn't going to tell her that, there was no way in hell she'd even think about liking him now that he did all that stuff to her. He snorted, and broke off his chain of thoughts as she disappeared into the forest. He stood up, and almost lost his hakama, forgetting that he had given away the tie to Sango. He held up his pants until he got to the waters edge, then looked around. He sniffed the air just to make sure no one was around, then dropped the pants and dove into the water. He cleaned up rapidly, then played around in the water for awhile, diving in and out, holding his breath under water, swimming under the surface to see what was under there and if there were any underground tunnels that he could follow. After a while of searching, he found a place deep under the water that fed the hot spring, but it was too small for him to swim up. Plus the current was too strong, and he probably wouldn't get too far until he had to give up and come back for air. Eventually he got tired, and crawled out of the water, stepping into his pants, and pulling them up. He was holding them up with one hand, and combing his claws through his silver hair with the other, when he happened to look straight ahead. There was Sango sitting on the same rock he was sitting on not too long ago, in the exact same position. She was even holding her sword the same way he was. If he wasn't so embarrassed, then he would have realized that he could see pretty far up her makeshift clothing, the way her legs were.

InuYasha pulled his pants up a bit higher, and was on guard. How much had she seen?

She rolled her eyes at his unanswered question.

"Jeez InuYasha, I might hate you for killing my friends, but I'm not going to peek. I don't even like you like that anyway, you don't interest me like that." She said, in a total mockery of him. InuYasha smirked. Two could play at this game.

"Aww, dammit!" He said. She looked at him questioningly.

"I'm all clean, but what do I wear?" He asked her. She realized what was about to happen, and her face paled.

"C'mon Sango, lend me your shirt, just to cover me up." He said. "Oh, and maybe that tie too, I'll need that."

Sango groaned inwardly, and decided to drop it.

"No, InuYasha, your not getting it back, how rude of you to even ask that!" She said. Then she smiled. A real smile. "Don't worry, I didn't see anything, honest."

InuYasha blushed, and realized all the opportunities she would have had to peek.

"Next time," He yelled, "Don't come back until I tell you too!"

A/N: Please review, tell me how it is.


	8. Tentative Affection

Pure Anger 8.

InuYasha blushed as he remembered the bath scene yesterday. Nothing had been seen, by him or by her, or so she said, but it didn't stop it from being embarrassing. He pulled his red haori around him, and rearranged his pants. He coughed, and Sango looked up from the fire she was tending.

"What is it, InuYasha? You've been restless all day." She said, not too harshly. InuYasha shrugged, and advoided her gaze for this next part.

"Let's play something." He said. Sango looked at him, questioningly.

"What, InuYasha?" She asked. InuYasha repeated himself. "Let's play a game or something." He said. Sango didn't like the way he said it. He made it sound so sexual. Then she had to blush. Maybe that was just her imagination and wishful thinking. She kept her guard up.

"What kind of game?" She asked softly, warily.

InuYasha looked up from the fire she was adding wood to, to look her in the eyes.

"Tag." Was his simple reply. She groaned inwardly. He was obviously going to win. She sighed, standing up. She slowly stretched, feeling InuYasha's eyes on her body. She made sure that she paid special attention to stretching her calves, and glutes, for she was in her demon slayer uniform and she was sure that InuYasha was enjoying the view. She made sure to not look at him, or he would get embarrassed and look away. Sango didn't know why she was acting this way, and enjoying the attention InuYasha was giving her. Perhaps, she thought, bending over to touch her toes, it was because she was in the middle of a forest with no one around except a pretty nice looking, if not a bit psychotic, boy. She shook off the thoughts, and knew that she had to get out of here soon. She looked at InuYasha and noticed that he was staring at her hungrily, toungue caressing his bottom lip, fang poking out, the whiteness contrasting sharply with the pinkness of his tongue. In his eyes was a certain hunger, but Sango didn't know if it was sexual hunger, actual hunger, or attention seeking hunger. She didn't want to find out.

"Not it!" She shrieked, and took off running, ditching everything she could to make herself lighter, and to get rid of obstructions on her body, for she was sure she would need to. InuYasha gave chase, jumping lightly over a fallen Hiraikotsu, and a sword inside it's sheath, next to a tree. He could glimpse her figure running through the foilage up ahead, and for a terrifying second, he felt the demon blood pulse. Just once. Like it was letting InuYasha know it was there. InuYasha tried to ignore it, but he couldn't ignore the feeling in his stomach that this game might not end so happily. He discarded all thoughts, and concentrated on catching her. She was dashing left and right, jumping large rocks and ducking fallen trees. His ears swiveled forward and he caught the sound of her foot falls and easy breathing. He grinned. He was going to catch her. He put on a burst of speed and reached out, his hands inches from her back. He blinked, and she was gone. Literally. InuYasha didn't know where she was. He skidded to a stop, and sniffed the air in uncertainty. He listened, and heard nothing. He looked around, head height, for a pony tail ducking behind trees. Nothing.

Sango smirked. She had chosen the perfect time to jump. She had thrown herself to the right, and he had somehow missed it, and was now looking around stupidly. She hugged the ground and stayed as still as she could, not wanting to disturb a single leaf of the bushes she was hiding in. It was a dense forest, with not much light getting in, so it wasn't so obvious that all he had to do was search the few closest bushes. The whole forest was densely packed trees and shrubbery. InuYasha was probably sniffing the air, now. All he would smell was the forest, with just a tiny scent of Sango, which was already fading. He would then start to listen, but with the wind blowing through the trees and ruffling the branches of all the bushes in the forest, he would imagine that every sound was her breathing. He would then use his eyes. And he was probably stupidly look around, at head height, it never occuring to him to look down. She held her breath as the wind stopped, and she prayed that it would start up again soon. Through the bushes she could see InuYasha's bare feet moving around slowly. So it had become a manhunt. She was being hunted. She slowly, ever so slowly, as to not make a noise, crawled backwards, away from the feet that were moving around in front of her, unsure as to which direction to walk. She couldn't wait for it to get dark, and protect her with its camouflage. She had on a mostly black demon slaying suit. He had on a bright red kimono. Guess who was going to become more visible when the sun went down?

Sango heard him move away, in the direction he had come from, and she grinned, waiting a few minutes. This forest was huge. When she was sure that he was gone, and not setting up an ambush, she slowly got up into a crouch. She moved away from her initial spot where she had disappeared, before standing and running, just in case that spot was being watched. She grinned confidently. She knew all the rules to play by. This was fun.

InuYasha mentally cursed. Where the hell had she gone? He paced around in circles for a few minutes, looking behind a few trees, trying to find her. He couldn't understand how he had blinked and missed her movement. He sighed, and started running back the way he had come, seeing if he could catch her running back to the camp. He retraced all his steps, keeping his eyes open, but he never saw her. He broke through the foilage, almost tripping over the Hiraikotsu, and saw that she wasn't sitting in the camp like he thought she would be. He shrugged, and figured that there was only one way to catch her.

Sango smiled happily, and noticed that it had gotten darker while she had been running, and waiting. Much darker. In a few minutes the forest would be plunged into darkness. Then the fun would start. She found a path that had been cleared by years of feet walking the same places, and decided to follow it, deeming her dark suit enough camouflage. She started walking along it, and unbeknownst to her, her guard was starting to drop. Then something else dropped. A figure dropped out of the treetops, landing right in front of Sango, making her scream. She recognised it as InuYasha from his long silvery hair, and she turned around, fleeing down the path that she had walked back up. InuYasha rose to his feet and started chasing her, his blood roiling in excitement, from the chase. Once he caught up, he was determined that nothing like last time would happen again. Once he got close enough, he jumped forward, snarling loudly. Sango looked over her shoulder, only to see InuYasha flying at her, the darkness hiding his face, only his outline and general shape visible.

She was knocked to the ground, and heard a triumphant cry.

"Yes! Tag, your it!" She heard InuYasha yell. She sighed, moaned, waited for InuYasha to get off her, then rose. She stood a few feet away from him, and could practically feel the cockiness and pride radiating off him.

"Um, that's all good and everything, InuYasha, but you forgot one thing." She said. InuYasha was instantly cautious, afraid that there was some unspoken rule that he had broken, and that his victory was about to be taken away from him.

"What's that, Sango?" He asked.

She grinned, and leaned forward, slapping him on the shoulder. "You forgot to run." She said. "Your it!"

InuYasha growled, and chased after her, her silhouette barely visible in the darkness. Suddenly, she was gone, and he panicked. How did she keep doing that? Then she was visible again, darting through the trees, just barely out of his reach. He put of a sudden burst of speed, and was about to tag her, for she could never get away from his superior speed. He grinned, his hand inches from her back...and he tripped. His foot caught a root, and he went sprawling in the dirt, but not before grabbing her ankle. She too tripped, and went down with an audible 'oof'.

InuYasha grinned, and got up, ignoring his stinging knee. He crawled over her, resisting her attempts to get away. He pinned her shoulders into the dirt, and she could feel his weight sitting lightly on the small of her back.

"Tag, your it." He said softly. He got off her, and she got up, rubbing a bruised elbow. She looked at InuYasha, and smiled.

"Guess I'm a bit too slow for a good game of tag, eh?" She asked. InuYasha shrugged. "Your not really slow, your faster than most humans, but what takes the challenge away is that I don't have a limit, I can always speed up." He said. "My limit is way, way above what you've seen." He said. Sango thought about it.

"Hmm, okay, how about this." She said. "You count to 50, then come looking for me." She said. InuYasha thought about it, and figured it would level out the playing field.

"Okay," He said. "GO!"

Sango took off, and she heard InuYasha calling out numbers in a loud voice.

"1...2...3...4..."

He trailed off as she got further away, and eventually she couldn't hear him anymore. She was looking for a good place to hide, and was counting inside her head at the same pace as InuYasha, to see when he would come looking for her. If he actually counted to 50. She figured that the best thing to do would to actually keep walking around silently, for hiding in one place would work, if he couldn't follow her scent right up to her hiding place. But he could. So she wouldn't.

After about ten minutes it was obvious that he was totally lost. He had followed her scent a fair ways, then it just ended. It was still there, for almost all living things left a scent, but it was too faint for him to follow. It was overwhelmed by the scent of rain. He continued on in that direction anyway, running. After a few more minutes, he slowed, and listened, holding his breath. He could hear movement about 20 feet away, and he slowly stalked toward it, knowing that it was Sango. Her scent was getting stronger.

Sango froze, and she thought she heard a twig snap. He was here. The thought filled her with a light fear. Not InuYasha himself, but the fact that he could sneak up on her so silently, and she would never know where he could decide to kill her from. She crouched down, making herself less visible, and tried to control her breathing, making herself less audible. She knew that controlling her breathing also calmed her down, which made her body release less scent, making it harder for her to be scented out. She was as ready as she was going to be. For some reason, being stalked made her very excited. She thought she knew where he was, and he might know where she is, now, who would get caught? She liked the feeling of being stalked, and wanted more of it. She was determined to put up the best fight of her life.

'Cmon, rain dammit!' She thought. As if waiting for her wishes, the heavens opened up in a massive downpour, releasing torrents of rain. Sango was glad. It further discouraged his hearing, sight, and scenting abilities. She guessed that InuYasha's senses were at best, that of a highly skilled human. Perfect. She heard more soft rustling to her left, and she crept away into the dark underbrush.

InuYasha silently cursed as the rain started, and his visibility was almost nothing now. He crept through the foilage in front of him, and saw a black shape disappear into the trees. He bared his teeth, and the demon inside him was demanding that he move in for the kill. InuYasha shook his head. There would be no kill. Not now, not ever. He supressed the demon, and skulked forward, loving the feeling that he got from hunting her down. He crouched low to the ground and picked up his pace. He crawled through the dirt, still dry despite the rain, protected by the dense foilage that Sango had crawled through. He peeked out the other side, and saw that Sango had emerged in a tiny clearing, no bigger than seven feet by ten feet. He slid around to one side of the clearing, and decided to play mind games with her. He crouched low to the ground, and saw her looking around uncertainly. He reached way over, and snapped a branch in his hand. He quickly withdrew his hand, and she looked over to where the sound was made, a foot away from InuYasha himself. He grinned, and she looked around, wondering what was going on. She hadn't noticed him yet. With her back to him, he took the opportunity to move around to the other side, the rain covering the sounds of his feet sliding over the ground. He picked up a slightly thicker stick, and snapped it over his knee, and as she spun around, he jumped into the air. He saw her looking around, and he hoped she didn't turn around. She didn't. He landed behind her, and came right up behind her.

Sango heard the larger snap, and whirled around, her heart racing. She saw a shadow slip past her field of vision, and looked around wildly. She saw nothing. She squinted her eyes, and focused on the spot where the noise came from, and saw the faint outlines of a broken stick. She grimaced. A distraction. She was about to turn around when she froze. She could feel a pair of eyes on her, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up, and a shiver ran down her back. Someone was close. She slowly turned around, and yelped when InuYasha's face was thrust close to hers, his teeth bared in victory. The effect was scarier still when lightning struck, illuminating his demonish face. She backed up a step, and her foot sunk into the mud. She stumbled, and fell back a few more steps, bumping up against a tree. InuYasha advanced, his claws stretching, and he grabbed her arms. Sango briefly wondered what he was going to do, then saw him lean in close. The scary look was off his face, and she started to calm down. InuYasha looked at her with his golden eyes, and smiled.

"Tag, your it." He said. Sango laughed softly, and stared at him. His silvery hair was soaked, as was his clothes, and hung down in front of his eyes. She reached up, and pushed the hair out of his face. She was slightly aware that he was slowly leaning in closer, his body up against hers now. At this realization, her heart skipped a beat, and sped up, and she started breathing faster. She tried to take shallow breaths to conceal it though. InuYasha's golden eyes flicked down to her lips, then back up to her face. Embarrassed as she was, she never broke eye contact with him. This time she was challenging the dog inside of him, daring him to do what she thought he was going to do. And a small part of her was hoping he would. InuYasha tilted his head sideways a bit, and leaned in closer. Sango leaned forward too, half closing her eyes. She wanted it, and was conscious of his hands shaking slightly as they clutched her arms. InuYasha's lips were millimeters away, when he lost his nerve. He hesitatted, and could feel Sango tense up, as he stopped. He backed up, and adverted his gaze. He was now painfully aware of what he wanted to do, what he was going to do, and how he looked like an idiot in front of Sango now that he couldn't do it. He took his hands off her arms, and she sighed silently, cursing herself. She had probably appeared too eager, and scared him off. Shit. And she was secretly looking forward to that happening all day.

InuYasha sighed, and looked up at Sango. She looked so disappointed. Dammit. He didn't know she had wanted it that bad, and he had fucked up. Now he was never going to get another chance. Why the hell did he chicken out?

Sango looked at InuYasha, and saw that he was obviously angry. Who he was angry with, himself or her, she didn't know. Probably her, for seducing him. Even though she had done nothing of the kind, he probably thought she was trying. She shook it off, and started walking back to the camp, wishing she didn't feel so bad inside.

InuYasha looked up at Sango, and saw her start to walk away. He reached out to stop her, then withdrew his hand. He had done enough damage tonight.

Sango sat down near the waters edge, and let the rain pour down on her. She thought briefly that it would be interesting to play that game with a human InuYasha, then her mind steered her on a different course. Miroku. She hadn't thought of him in a while. She sighed. Miroku would want her to be happy, but her idea of happiness had changed. She no longer wanted InuYasha dead. She just wanted him. She wondered if that was wrong. She didn't know. She felt like crying. She turned her thoughts to Kagome, and wished that the younger girl was still here, so Sango could share her problems with her. But all she had was that. She looked in the direction of the sulky hanyou, and quickly looked away again as his head came up. She wondered if she could talk to him about how she felt. She certainly wouldn't talk to him about how she felt about him, but maybe he would listen to her if she talked about Miroku and Kagome. She decided to give it a try.

"InuYasha, can I talk to you about something?" She asked.

InuYasha thought back to the near-kiss, and his heart skipped a beat. He was in for it now. His ears flattened against his skull, and he turned to her.

"Y-yeah?" He asked. Sango smiled, trying to put him at ease.

"Don't worry, InuYasha, I just want to talk about other stuff, it's okay." She said, using the tone that one would use on a frightened dog. InuYasha seemed to relax.

So Sango talked.

Many hours later, the two retired to sleep off what was left of the night. Sango, exhausted beyond belief, undid the first few clasps of her demon slayer suit, and loosened the collar. He back was aching, and she laid down on her stomach, letting her back stretch out. She yawned. She couldn't remember what she had talked about, but she sure felt better. Beside her, she could faintly hear InuYasha rustling around, getting comfortable. She closed her eyes. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, she remembered something important. She had to say good night.

"Mmm hey InuYasha?" She said sleepily. There was no response for a few seconds, then a sleepy: "Yeah?"

"Good night." She said. There was a pause. Then: "Good night Sango. Sleep well."

Sango smiled to herself, and finally passed out, for she was very tired.


	9. Kissed?

Pure Anger 9

When InuYasha awoke, Sango was gone. It was unexpected. And frightening. More frightening then waking up and finding her over him with a knife, ready to stab him. He didn't want her gone. He was starting to like her. Then he groaned. He might like her, but who knew how she felt about him? He shook it off, and decided to use this time alone. He stripped off, and dived into the water, thinking back to his last bath, two days ago. Sango had said she hadn't peeked, and he believed her, but there was always 'what if?'. What if she was lying, and had peeked? Or worse, what if she was telling the truth, she wasn't interested in him that way?

He shrugged. It hurt too think too much this early in the morning. Then he had another thought. Why was he here? Why was he in the forest? Surely Kaede would be glad to see him. He made a mental note to ask Sango when she got back from...where ever she was. But for now...

He closed his eyes, and relaxed. He had been so high strung the last few days, he needed to release some tension. He rubbed his stomach, under water, and then stretched. It felt good. He sighed. He needed way more time to relax. He didn't notice his hand go a bit lower until he was fully aroused. InuYasha realized it with a jolt, and he sunk down underneath the water, looking around to see if Sango or anyone else was present. Nobody was. Then he wondered how he would get rid of it. He blushed deeply as he realized what he had to do. He looked around again, and sniffed the air, before wrapping his hand gently around himself. Slowly, he began to slide his hand back and forth on his excited member, and a few seconds later pleasureable feelings began running through his body.

Sango almost forgot where the clearing was. With a chuckle she stepped over a bush, into the clearing. She saw InuYasha sitting on the ground, looking uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, InuYasha?" She asked, adjusting the purple cloth around her right wrist. InuYasha looked at her, then promptly looked away.

"Nothin'."He said. Sango smirked. Something was up. She absolutely had to see what.

"You sure it was nothing, InuYasha?" She asked. "Cause it don't seem like nothing, it seems like your embarrassed about something, like you were doing something while I was away." She said. "But your all alone." She missed his blank look as she stared up at the sky.

"And the only thing you could have done while you were all by yourself, with just your thoughts is..." InuYasha knew what she was hinting at. He knew very well what she was hinting at. But he would have none of it. She couldn't know he had done _that._

"Sango!" He barked. "Shutup!"

She smiled coyly at InuYasha. "What if I don't, InuYasha?" She asked. "What then?"

InuYasha felt his face heating up, and he turned to keep her from seeing it. "Aww whatever, go ahead and talk about your sick twisted perverted fantasies." He grumbled. "I didn't do a damn thing wrong." He said. Sango pretended to be shocked.

"Perverted!? Sick and twisted?" She gasped. "InuYasha, voicing your thoughts isn't any of those things, but now I'm starting to wonder what you were _reallly_ doing."

InuYasha knew he had been caught by the oldest trick in the book. Let on that you knew something, and more often then not, the person would tell you exactly what had been done. He cursed, and didn't say anything.

He didn't need to. His silence was all that Sango needed to hear. She started laughing. She had practically gotten a confession from him. He was doing something naughty. She knew what it was now, but was to embarrassed to even think of the word.

"Hahaha, InuYasha, you?" She asked. "Who knew you were capable of such...sexually deviant acts!?" She asked, still laughing, and InuYasha growled louder.

He wouldn't actually do anything besides growl, but even that was proving difficult, with all the other thoughts floating around inside his head. He shook his head, closing his eyes. He wished now that he had never done that, and knew that Sango would bring it up constantly now, just to piss him off. And she did just that.

"Hey InuYasha, I'd ask you to go fetch some firewood so I can make food, but seeing as you might be physically exhausted from your...extracurricular activites, I'll refrain from asking." She was laughing by the end of her sentence, and InuYasha hung his head. He was _never_ going to hear the end of it now. Just to get away, he rose, and ambled into the forest to get the wood she so desperately sought.

InuYasha came back, and dumped the load of wood by her feet, making her jump.

"Not so close, InuYasha!" She said. InuYasha said nothing, and walked a few feet away, sitting down with his back to her. Sango then realized that she had taken the joking too far, and he was embarrassed and his feelings were hurt. She wondered briefly how to fix her current situation, then got an idea.

"Hey, InuYasha, can you come here for a minute?" She asked. There was no response, then a few seconds later, she heard him getting up, and sullenly walking over. She continued to attempt to light the fire with her rock and flint, and wished Kagome was here. Kagome could make fire with a flick of her thumb. She shook her head as InuYasha dropped down beside her.

"I'm really proud of you, InuYasha." She said. InuYasha looked at her confused. "Proud of what?" He asked. Sango looked him in the eye. "Even with me teasing you, you never got angry." She said. "You just got up and walked away." She said. "I like that." And before she could re-think her decision, Sango slung an arm around his neck, and leaned in close to him. She caught him off guard, and his mouth opened a bit in surprise. That's when she kissed him. She placed her lips on his, and held there a moment, before slowly closing her mouth and pulling away, feeling his lips massage hers until they broke apart. Sango grinned, then giggled. She had gotten her kiss from her silver haired hanyou, and he seemed quite surprised. InuYasha looked at her, then down at the ground. He looked back at her, and found his voice.

"W-what was that for?" He asked warily, worrying that there might have been poison on her lips. Even so, he couldn't help but lick his lips hungrily, wanting more. Sango noticed this, and smirked, opening her mouth suggestively.

"Well, it was for controlling your anger." She said. Then she went out on another limb. "And if you ask, you can probably get that any time you want." She said. She stopped herself with that. There was so much more of herself that she would gladly give to him, but she had to take it slow, and she wanted to be sure that he was feeling the things she was feeling. InuYasha blushed.

"W-why would I want that again?" He asked. "That was just..." _An amazing kiss by a beautiful girl._ "A bad kiss by a girl that can't keep clean." He said. Sango, this time, could see the pout in his eyes, and she ignored his comment.

"Yeah right InuYasha, you wanted it as bad as I did." She said. Then she stopped. Uh oh.

InuYasha looked at her. "Y...you wanted that?" He asked. Sango looked away, then looked back to InuYasha. She nodded. InuYasha grinned. "Me too." Then his grin dissappeared as hormones took over. "And I still do want it." He said softly. Sango heard him. "You want more?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. Sango giggled.

"Aww that's sweet, you really really do?" She asked. InuYasha didn't answer her this time, prefering to not answer her question. Sango leaned over, and stared at him.

"If I kiss you again, what will you do?" She asked in a low voice, one teeming with emotion. InuYasha shrugged nervously. Sango decided to find out. She leaned forward, and placed her hand on the side of InuYasha's face, kissing him gently. InuYasha moaned as her lips caught his. His heart was racing, but this 'older' woman had total control over him. And he didn't want her to give it up. It seemed that the kiss lasted an eternity before Sango pulled away from him. Only then did InuYasha realize how short it really was. Still he wanted more. But Sango was finished. She had turned around. Her back to him. InuYasha had to hold himself on the ground.  
"Please leave, InuYasha, I have to take a bath." She said. InuYasha, stunned at what had just happened, merely nodded, and got up, walking into the forest. He had even missed the tone in her voice, and the spike in her scent. He decided to go for a walk for a while, until he figured that she would be finished. He needed that time alone anyway, he needed to think about some things.

A/N Please review. It helps. It really does. It makes it all worthwhile. Please. For the sake of the button that never gets pushed, just review.


	10. Piggy Back Ride And A Sit?

Pure Anger 10

The demon slipped through the darkness, a shadow weaving in and out of other shadows, casting no shadow itself. It had no discernable scent and left no tracks behind. It snaked through the forest, hunting for it's prey. It slithered into the clearing, and focused on InuYasha. The boy sleeping on the ground was enticing, but the female next to him boasted a better meal. The demon slipped between them, and hung over the female, looking at her body. It was caught in a moment of indecision. It was a beautiful body. The decision now was should it be possessed, or eaten? It hesitated a second too long, and hissed in pain as InuYasha's claws slashed through the back of it's head. A second later, and InuYasha's hand closed tightly into a fist, crushing the remainder of the demon's skull. Sango was awoken by the hissing and cracking sounds, and looked over sleepily at InuYasha.

"What's going on, babe?" The pet name was out of her mouth before she could react, and she hoped that InuYasha didn't catch it. She looked at him, still sleepy, but a bit more awake. He didn't seem to hear her. He grimaced, and threw the lifeless demons shadowy body away.

"Nothing, Sango, just an attacking demon." He said. "Guess our stay in the forest is over, we should be getting back to Kaede's." He said. "Tomorrow we travel."

Sango nodded. "Okay." She said. She laid back down, and waited for InuYasha to join her, like he had a few hours earlier. She had laid down, tired, and he had sat down beside her, eventually laying down, just a foot away. But now, he wasn't laying back down. He was sitting up, and sniffing the air. She smiled at his peculiar behaviour.

"InuYasha..?" She asked, and recieved no answer. Just a growl.

"Lay back down, Sango, " He said. "Nothing's going on, but I think you should keep a hand on your blade, for now." He said. Sango sat up, alarmed, and looked at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked. InuYasha looked at her, seriously.

"You really can't sense them?" He asked. Sango shook her head. Maybe she was rusty, from not being in battle for so long, but she really couldn't sense anything. InuYasha grimaced.

"This fight is going to be harder than I thought..." He mumbled, and Sango was immedately on guard.

"Fight?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "They're all around us, about thirty of them." He said. Sango blinked, and slowly slid her sword out of it's sheath. She was so glad she listened to the voice that told her to keep her sword close tonight.

"What do you think they are?" She asked. InuYasha shook his head. "I don't know." He said, the tension audible in his voice. It made Sango jump. Why was he so nervous? If he was nervous, then she should be terrified. She tightened her grip on her sword, and got ready to fight. She stretched as many muscles as she could without moving around too much. She noticed InuYasha's hand slide down to his sword handle, and that worried her. He was usually so cocky, and waited until the enemy was visible before reaching for her sword. Why change now? Then a sudden thought hit her. What if he wasn't changing? What if the enemy _was_ visible, just not to her?

Then she heard InuYasha's voice.

"Sango, take this powder, and move over to the fire." He instructed slowly, holding out a small pouch of powder. She took it, and his strong voice started to comfort her. She calmed down, and did exactly as he told her, moving over to the fire.

"I'm guessing that they don't like light, because most of them are grouped on the side furthest from the fire." He said conversationally, like he wasn't talking about a group of demons that could kill them. "So when I tell you to, I want you to dump that pack into the fire, and hit the dirt." He said. Sango nodded. She had identified the powder, and knew that it would produce a loud bang when ignited, but more importantly, a large flash. She hefted it, and wondered briefly if InuYasha was trying to kill her. This much powder at such close range would blow her apart if she wasn't careful. She looked back at InuYasha, and saw that he was now standing. And growling. Something was making him very nervous. And she was very nervous because she couldn't see what was making InuYasha so nervous. She cursed, and wished she could be of more help.

InuYasha looked around at the shadows that were slipping in and out of his peripheral vision, and he cursed mentally. He wished that he could see the enemies better. He counted around thirty of them, and it wasn't by being able to see them that he had counted them. They gave off a strange aura. It was hard to explain, maybe that's why Sango couldn't sense them. It was a feeling you got, the same way you woke up inside a hut with no windows and knew if it was day or night, or when you were walking through the forest and could feel the presence of water and knew where to go to find a stream. A more recent analogy, when Kagome had had to take him to her time, was when he had walked into a room, and felt, rather than heard, a strange buzzing sound, and Kagome had pointed to something she called a T.V. It was on, but showing nothing but black and white dots. It was sort of like that. He was concentrating hard, and he could feel one trying to sneak up on him. He waited until it was close, then whirled around and brought his sword down hard on the demon, killing it. They were all about waist high, big enough to do damage, but small enough to evade his attacks if he wasn't careful. Luckily, they weren't that intelligent. InuYasha was starting to sense a pattern. The other twenty nine demons were all moving around randomly, or so it seemed, within the bounds of the dark forest, but as InuYasha examined their patterns, following just one aura, he found that they were all going around in circles around the clearing, each darting further and further out into the clearing each time they made a loop of the clearing. And they had it timed so that there were six or seven out a time. He started to back up, not out of fear, but he wanted them closer to the fire.

Sango saw InuYasha back up, and noted the look of confusion on his face. She was starting to get confused. She couldn't sense a damn thing, and had just seen InuYasha 'kill' something. She briefly wondered if he was going crazy. But the hissing and cracking she had heard was real, she was sure of it. InuYasha backed up again, and she felt a twinge of fear.

"Sango..." Her name was said, and she responded automatically.

"InuYasha," She said.

"Open the pouch." He said. "Slowly."

Sango did as she was told, and held it over the fire. InuYasha's eyes were darting around, following unseen demons, and she had to wonder again if he was insane.

"When I count to three, drop it in, pouch and all." He said. He turned around to look behind him, fear flitting across his face for half a second, then calmed down.

"One...Two..." He hesitated, then his eyes narrowed. "Three! Drop it!"

Sango dropped the pouch in the fire and hit the ground as a huge bang almost deafened her, and a flash lit up the whole area. She had enough sense to look around as she hit the ground, and saw dozens of almost invisible creatures freeze in their paths, before vaporizing. She grinned to herself. Not only was InuYasha not crazy, he was a genius.

Once the fire settled down, she stood back up, and looked at InuYasha. He grinned at her.

"Well, that was an interesting fight." He said. "Too bad it disturbed our sleep."

Sango nodded, her mind on those demons. She was sure that she had seen them before...

The next day, they were up early, preparing food and getting ready to make the half-day trek to Kaede's village. Sango strapped on her sword, and did up the buttons to her demon slayer suit. InuYasha was stuffing his face with the remainders of the food they had made for breakfast. She looked down at him sitting on the ground, crosslegged, shoving rice into his mouth faster then she had ever seen, like he was afraid someone was going to take it away from him if he didn't eat it fast enough. She smiled. He was so predictable.

"Hey InuYasha, hand me some of that rice, will you?" She asked. InuYasha glared at her over his bowl, and growled possessively.

"Gmt yer uwm." He mumbled around a mouthful of rice. She shook her head and turned around to hide her smile. She picked up her Hiraikotsu, and started walking, knowing that the hanyou would follow her. A few seconds later, he caught up, slowing down from his jog into an easy walk. He was chewing on a slightly burnt fish. She thought back to the meal she had this morning, a tiny fish she had caught, and one bowl of rice. InuYasha, the gluttonous pig, had taken the biggest fish, and the majority of the rice. She looked at him again, and her stomach growled. Upon hearing it, InuYasha looked at her, and shrugged.

"Whatcha want me to do about it?" He asked. Sango glared at him.

"Give me some." She said, and InuYasha shook his head. "No."

Sango nodded. "Yes."

"No."

"Yes, InuYasha."

"No. My fish."

"Share, InuYasha."

"NO!"

"GODDAMMIT INUYASHA GIVE ME THAT FISH!"

InuYasha leaned away from her, slightly scared. He gave her the fish, and she chewed angrily on it. InuYasha moved over a few feet, still walking. Best to keep his distance. She must be PMSing.

Sango smiled to herself, and happily ate the fish. So far today was a good day, she had gotten what she wanted and she didn't have to fight too hard for it. She snuck a glance at InuYasha and saw him move over a few feet. She shrugged. His loss.

Or was it?

Did he miss the closeness between them? Already she could feel the gap he had created, and it tore at her. She wanted him to come back over, so she could feel his hand grazing against hers everytime he swung his arm while he walked. She wanted to be able to turn her head just a bit and be able to look at him. She couldn't do either of those things now that he had moved away. She started to get a bit sad. He was such an idiot.

She continued walking, and eventually they came to a part of the path with grass on one side of it. It seemed as good a place as any to take a break, so she walked over and sat down. InuYasha followed her, sitting beside her. She looked over at him, and gave him a genuine smile, making his heart race and his face flush red. She took a deep drink of water from a water bottle she had gotten off Kagome, and passed it to InuYasha. She noticed with some agitation that he carefully wiped it off before taking a drink and passing it back. Then another thought came back to her, like it did the other day. Why did she care? It didn't mean anything. She accepted the bottle, and leaned back, laying down on the grass to bask in the heat of the sun, which was climbing high in the sky. There was about a twenty minute walk left to Kaede's place, and they weren't in any particular hurry, especially InuYasha. He didn't want to face Kaede when she found out that Miroku and Kagome were dead. Suddenly, Sango got an idea.

She sat up, and gently put her hand on her left knee. A few minutes later, she started rubbing her knee, 'wincing' in pain. InuYasha looked over, and was immediately worried. But he didn't show it. Or he tried not to.

"What's wrong, Sango?" He asked, easing the roughness that was usually in his voice. Sango shook her head. "I don't know, my knee just started hurting suddenly." She said. InuYasha panicked, and didn't know what to do.

"I don't know what to do!" He said. "C'mon, we gotta get to Kaede's, she can help you."

"You can't walk, right?" He asked, just to make sure. Sango shook her head. InuYasha sighed, then crouched down in front of her.

"Come on, climb on my back." He said. "I'll carry you there." Sango blushed, even though that's what she was hoping for, and happily climbed on. InuYasha stood up, and she saw what it was like to view the world from the height of InuYasha, even if it was just a few inches higher. She happily snuggled up against him, and closed her eyes, forgetting all about the 'pain' that was in her left leg. She rested her head on his shoulder, and tried to inconspicuously sniff his neck. She wanted to see what he smelled like. She moved her nose a bit closer to his neck, and inhaled softly, her nose filling with the scent of the forest and of the scent that was uniquely InuYasha. She smiled happily, and fell asleep, lulled by the gentle up and down motion created by InuYasha's steps, and his slow breathing. As she slowly fell into the darkness that was sleep, she could faintly hear InuYasha's heart beating.

InuYasha crouched down outside Kaede's hut, and whispered Sango's name. She didn't wake up, but she responded by tightening her grip on his haori, not wanting to let go. InuYasha blushed as the old miko came out, and saw Sango on his back.

"Wake her up wench, and do it quick before my legs break." He said, faking his usually angry and bitchy attitiude. But for some reason the whole time he had been carrying Sango he had been the happiest guy in the world. Now it had to come to an end. She had to wake up and get off. Now he was bitchy.

"Jeez woman, hurry up!" He said. The old priestess ignored the impatient hanyou, and gently shook Sango awake. She awoke slowly.

"Hmm, don't do that InuYasha." Was her sleepy reply to Kaede's gentle shaking. Kaede and InuYasha were both surprised, the former looking to the latter.

"What kinds of things have you been doing to her, InuYasha?" She asked, surprised. InuYasha blushed, and shook his head.

"I didn't do anything to the bitch!" He yelled, embarrassed. But inside, he was secretly pleased. Whatever kind of dreams Sango was having about him, at least they were dreams. Not nightmares. About him. Not some other guy. For some reason, that made him happy.

"Sango, wake up dear." Kaede said, shaking Sango a bit harder. This time Sango sat up, looking around. Her eyes were half open, and her hair was a bit messy, but other than that, she was fine. She got off InuYasha's back, and stood there for a few seconds, balancing sleepily on her feet, before walking into the hut, leaving InuYasha to stare at her.

Kaede noticed this.

"It's not polite to stare at a girl like that." She stated dryly. InuYasha, suffering too many attacks in such a short time, almost clawed her in half.

"I wasn't staring like that!" He screeched. Kaede smiled and nodded. "Oh really..."

"Yeah really. Her knee was hurt, that's why I was carrying her, and then she just gets off and walks into the cabin like nothing was wrong..." InuYasha ground his fangs together, making the old miko wince.

"That lazy ass was just trying to get a free ride!" He cursed, and walked in after her, to give her a piece of his mind. Kaede shook her head at his stupidity.

"No, InuYasha, she merely wanted to be a little bit closer to you, that's all." She mumbled to herself.

Inside the cabin...

"What the hell was that!?!?" He screamed, and Sango flinched. "I thought your knee was hurting!" He yelled. Sango nodded. "Yeah, it was hurting, but when I woke up, it felt fine." She lied. It had never hurt to begin with. "I was able to walk a few steps, but right as I sat down, I felt some of the pain return." She said. InuYasha stared at her skeptically, before shrugging and turning away.

"That's what you get for being a weak human." He said loftily, flopping down on the floor.

Sango clenched her fists together. Oh, what she wouldn't give to be able to 'sit' him like Kagome could. She stared at his back, and contemplated kicking him. Then she thought better of it, as Kaede walked in, sitting down.

"Now, children, tell me what has happened, that the other two cannot be present for today." She said, having no idea as to what had happened. Sango cast a look at InuYasha, who looked guiltily back, and said nothing. Kaede, a part of her stomach growing nervous, pressed onward.

"Come, tell me children, what has happened?" She asked. Sango spoke first.

"They are dead."

Kaede's face paled. "Oh dear..." She said. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Sango nodded, then began the dirty tale of how they had died.

An hour later...

InuYasha had gotten up and walked out halfway through the tale, and Sango had remained behind, to finish the sad story. Once it was over, the sulky hanyou still wasn't back. Sango figured that it would be a good time to bring it up.

"Is there any way that I can control him?" She asked. "You know, like Kagome could, with the necklace and the word sit, in case anything happens." She said. She leaned in close to whisper to Kaede. "Sometimes, around him when he's angry, I fear for my life."

Kaede nodded, and told her about the necklace he wore.

"You can use that one, there is no need to change it, or the word, as long as you are comfortable with both." She said. Sango nodded.

"Ok, the effect will be the same also, and it will work regardless of the emotion in your voice." Kaede said.

"Now, something to bond it to..." She said. Sango looked at her confused. "Bond to, what do you mean?" She asked.

Kaede shrugged. "Well, your a demon slayer, not a miko, so you have no priestly powers to speak of, so you can't control the necklace." She said. "I have to bond it with something with spiritual pow..." She trailed off as her gaze caught the wind tunnel cover on Sango's right wrist.

"That will do." She said.

She leaned over, and put her bony hand on Sango's right wrist, closing her eyes. She started to direct the flow of energy into the fabric, and when she was finished, she pulled back.

"Okay, that fabric now has a connection with the necklace, so everytime your wearing it or touching it and say the word 'sit', InuYasha will be plummeted to the ground." She said.

"Sit.." Sango said expirimentally, running the word around in her mouth. She was distracted from her thoughts as a loud bang was heard outside the door, followed by several colorful curse words. InuYasha stumbled through the door a moment later, bleeding from a cut on his cheek.

"So, you want to control me too, huh?" He asked, glaring at her with absolute hate in his eyes. InuYasha shook his head, his silver hair flying into his eyes. He snorted.

"And to think I actually liked you..." With that, he was gone, running out of the cabin, away from Sango. Sango just sat on the floor, stunned at what she had heard.

_And to think I actually liked you..._

Sango looked at Kaede. "What have I done?" She asked softly.


	11. Kisses

Pure Anger 11

Sango turned away from Kaede and got up, running after her hanyou. She saw him running away, toward the forest, and she gave chase, her athletic legs pushing her to high speeds very quickly. Nonetheless, it wasn't good enough to keep up with InuYasha, and she slowly fell behind. But it didn't matter. She knew where he was going. He was going where he was always going when he was pissed off or sulking. The God Tree.

Sango slowed and walked quietly into the clearing that surrounded the God Tree. InuYasha was there, his back to the tree, leaning against it, glaring at her.

"So I guess you wanna sit me now, huh?" He asked angrily.

Sango shook her head. "No baka," She said quietly. "I don't want to-" She made a hand gesture. "You."

InuYasha continued to glare at her. "Why should I believe anything you say?" He asked. "Why should I trust a damn thing you say?"

Sango started to get mad. InuYasha really could be stupid at times.

"You moron, did you trust me everytime you went to sleep at night in the forest, with me right beside you?" She asked. "There were plenty of times that I went to sleep crying because I was thinking of Miroku and Kagome, and you were sleeping right next to me, I could have killed you so many times, but I didn't!" She yelled. InuYasha fell silent. He hadn't known that she had cried herself to sleep before.

Sango glared back at him, her chest heaving from yelling at him. She forced herself to calm down and take a few deep breaths.

"I got the necklace on you because..." She trailed off, and InuYasha looked up at her expectantly. "Because in case you ever transform again, I want to be able to stop you." She said.

InuYasha nodded. He had no choice but to accept it and live it out. He sighed, and pushed off the tree, walking toward Sango. For a second, she felt a pang of fear. The easiest way for InuYasha to avoid being sat would be to kill the person that controlled the necklace. Was he going to do that? Then she closed her eyes as he walked by, and asked herself if it would matter. The truth was, it would not matter. He had plenty of chances before, but he didn't, so she had no reason to believe he would now. Besides, he could have killed her when she was sitting in the cabin, but he had looked more hurt than angry. She opened her eyes, and saw InuYasha standing in front of her, his face right in front of hers. Surprised, she took a step back, before recovering, and moving back in front of him.

She raised her hand and slowly stroked the side of his face. He stared at her with sadness and longing in his eyes.

"What is it you want, InuYasha?" She whispered. InuYasha moved a bit closer, and put his arm around her waist, making her blush.

"I want my freedom, Sango." He said. "Kagome interfered with my freedom with this damn necklace, and look where it got her." He said. Then he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm not threatening you, it's just that, I don't care if you use it while I'm a demon, but please don't use it on me when I don't deserve it, or use it when your mad at me for something you know I didn't do, like Kagome." He said. "She did that all the time to me. Something didn't go her way, she sat me into the ground." Sango felt a knot forming in her stomach, and something made her regret getting the necklace reactivated.

"InuYasha," She said, leaning up against him. She put her hand on his chest, and stared up into his eyes. "I promise that I'll never use it like that, I'll only use it when you need it." She said. "Not when I think you need it, or because I want to get rid of some anger, but for you. When you need it most." She said. InuYasha nodded, and stared back at the beautiful brown-haired girl in front of him. He was consciously aware of his arm still around her waist, and he pulled her gently against him. She blushed.

He leaned down, and put his mouth by her ear.

"You know how you said I could have 'that' anytime I asked?" He whispered. He felt her nod, and heard her swallow nervously. "Well, I think I want it now." He pulled away to look into her eyes. She nodded.

InuYasha leaned down and hesitated just a second, before placing his lips gently on hers. He felt her respond immediately, kissing back hard, proof that she wanted it too.

InuYasha slid his hand up her back, and was about to deepen the kiss, when she did it for him, sliding her tongue deep into his mouth. He was surprised, but responded in kind. He was very embarrassed when he managed to evoke a moan from her, but he didn't stop his venture. He continued to trail his fingers up and down her back, making her jump every time he hit a sensitive spot. InuYasha slid his hand up to the back of her neck, and kissed her a bit harder, making her moan again. When he slowly pulled away and opened his eyes, he could see that she was breathing heavily, and that her face was flushed deep red. He was confused. Sure, she would be out of breath, but why the flushed face? They had kissed before.

That wasn't really true. She had kissed him, on her own conditions, when she was ready. But still, he didn't know why she was so...not herself. She wasn't looking him in the eye. She was staring at the ground. He wondered if he had done something wrong. Was he a bad kisser or something?

He was surprised when she put her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. He tentatively put his arms around her waist, rubbing her back. What was going on?

"Hey, Sango, what's wrong?" He asked. He got no answer other than her shaking her head. He noticed that she was squeezing her legs together. Something was definitely wrong, he was sure of it.

"Sango?" He asked again, a bit more force in his voice. Sango looked up at him, and blushed again.

"I-it's not anything bad InuYasha, but..." She trailed off, and looked away from again. He gently pulled her face back to his, and stared at her.

"Tell me what's wrong." He ordered. Sango grinned, despite her situation. He still didn't notice.

"Well, your kisses, they..." She trailed off again, and she forced herself to talk as she saw him opening his mouth, about to speak. She really didn't want him to think he was a bad kisser, because he wasn't. He was very good, actually.

"Your kisses turned me on." She blurted out, as he was about to speak.

InuYasha looked at her, then had the intelligence to breathe in through his nose. Sure enough, her scent was spiked with her hormones, and from her scent he could tell that she was really aroused.

Sango could feel the blush spreading through her face again, working it's way to the back of her neck. She told herself that she wouldn't look away, but InuYasha's look became too much for her, and she started to fear what he thought of her. She looked away, ashamed. He wasn't speaking. God knew what he thought of her. She was about to turn around and walk away, and somehow he knew it. His arm tightened slightly against her waist, and pulled her close to him. She refused to look at him, and merely laid her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before InuYasha spoke.

"Hey Sango, I don't think that there's anything wrong with what happened. Do you regret anything that happened?" He asked. Sango took a second to think about it, but in the end her answer was the same as InuYasha's.

"No, I liked it." She said. "The kiss, I liked the kiss." She quickly fixed her mistake, her face flushing red again. InuYasha smiled, and leaned down to put his mouth by her ear.

"Did you like anything else about the kiss?" He asked softly. Sango nodded, and turned her head slightly, still resting on his shoulder. She gently bit the skin by his collar bone, before licking his throat.

"Mmm, there were a few things I liked." She said, smirking at InuYasha's response to the bite and the lick. He had tilted his head back and closed his eyes, a small moan escaping his lips.

She kissed his throat, and worked her way down to the soft skin by his collar bone again. She kissed him there, and started sucking, making him gasp. She smiled slightly as she sucked, at InuYasha's reaction. He was starting to breathe heavier, and his hands were now sliding up and down her back. She could feel something start to grow down by her legs, something poking into her thigh. She continued sucking on the skin by his neck, occaisionally releasing to kiss it or lick it. She could feel InuYasha's hands sliding lower and lower each time his hands slid down her back, but he always seemed to stop just before it would have turned into a grope. Then his hands stopped, and she could feel them hovering on her lower back. She knew what he wanted, and she decided to let him suffer a bit more. She decided to tease him, and, still sucking on him, slid her hands down around his waist and behind to gently feel him up. She felt him jump as she touched his ass, but she didn't care. She liked what she was doing and what she was getting out of it. A few minutes later, and Sango decided that he had suffered enough. She reached behind her, and grabbed his hand, lowering it to her ass. When she removed her hand, she felt him hesitate, just for a second, before he started to squeeze it gently.

Sango almost fell down. It felt that good.

His touch was driving her insane, and she was getting really turned on. If she didn't stop this soon, then she was pretty sure that something would happen. Something they would both regret. But she didn't want to stop. It felt so good. She stopped sucking for a second, to look at the mark she had made. She grinned. It was a large, dark hickey. She smirked. She might not be able to mark him like he could do to her, but she could still leave marks. InuYasha whimpered slightly at the loss of contact, and she smiled, thinking of other things.

"I bet there are a few more places you'd like me to suck, eh InuYasha?" She asked coyly, and she felt him stiffen up. She almost laughed. She could just imagine the thoughts he was having right now. Her imagination proved correct when 'something' got a bit harder against the inside of her leg. She couldn't help herself. She had to do it, just to see what it felt like. She started grinding on him.

InuYasha gasped when Sango started sliding her body up against his, rubbing against his member. He moaned, and she slipped her arms back around his neck, hanging on slightly as her legs felt like they were going to give out.

InuYasha, surprised, took a step back, one leg behind him, one leg out in front. And Sango found heaven on this leg, grinding against his leg, pressing her sex against him, and rubbing hard.

InuYasha loved the way she was moving on his body, but he knew that it had to stop soon. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and started to gently push her away. She got the hint, and straightened up, breathing heavily. After what she had just done on him, she _really_ couldn't look him in the eye. She instead sat down on the ground, and crossed her legs together, willing the heat in her abdomen to go away. She was so close to. She blushed at the thought. She had almost had an orgasm. InuYasha sat down beside her, and looked over at her. She refused to meet his gaze. InuYasha shrugged, and got up.

"I'm going to leave now, you can follow when you please. I'll be at Kaede's hut, if you need to seek me out." He started walking away, and then had another thought. Without turning around, he said, "What happened just a few minutes ago, I don't know about you, but I enjoyed it." He said softly. "I didn't think you did anytihng wrong."

With that, he walked away, leaving Sango alone, sitting on the ground. She let herself fall back, to lay on the grass. The feeling of arousal still hadn't left her, and she was starting to get annoyed. She was so turned on, but could do nothing about it...Or could she?

She blushed, and discarded the idea. But it kept coming back to her, and as she noticed that her arousal wasn't going anywhere, she decided to give it a try.

Making sure that InuYasha wasn't in the area, nor was anyone else, she slowly slipped a hand down between her legs, and started rubbing gently.

InuYasha sat down in Kaede's hut, leaning against the wall. He wondered what the hell had happened. First, Sango had tried to control him with that damn necklace, then she had tried to...?

What had she done?  
InuYasha seriously didn't know. He knew what had happened, but he didn't know why. He wondered what she was feeling. Was it a thing of the moment decision, or did she mean it? Was she really interested in him?  
He sighed, and dropped his head down on his knees. He wish he had all the answers, it sure would make everything a hell of a lot easier. He picked up his sword, and slowly slid it out of its sheath. He wondered about its intent. Anything to get his mind off Sango. The sword was made to protect humans. Simple as that. But in his demon rage, he had slain two humans. What good was the sword now? It still made an excellent weapon though, so he didn't mind lugging around the useless piece of metal. It was only when it transformed that it became something beautiful, strong, and useful.

Made to protect humans...Sango was a human.

_Dammit! Stop thinking about her!_ He told himself. He sighed, and figured that almost nothing would take his mind off her. Not that it was a bad thing, but he didn't want to be distracted right now. He had to think about those demons that had attacked them. He knew about them. They were invisible, darting through shadows, leaving no shadows. They _were_ shadows.

But he had seen them. Why?

He looked down to his sword, and a crazy idea hit him. The sword was made to protect humans. Sango was human. Sango had been with him when he was attacked. He had seen the invisible demons. Was the sword responsible for that?

Just then, his concentration was broken as the very object of his confusion walked through the door. He then corrected himself. Sango wasn't an object, and never would be. He might me half-demon, but he was better than that.

Sango looked at him, and he motioned for her to come sit beside him. It was going to be a long night. Something wasn't right with those demons.

"What do you know about those demons, Sango?" He asked, hungry for and new information.

Sango shrugged, and began her tale of how she came to know about them.

End chapter 11.


	12. Sango's Internal Conflict

Pure Anger 12

_Sango ran through the forest, breathing heavily. She wasn't tired, and could have easily run for another hour or so, which was good. She would probably need to run for a little while longer. After all, the demons were after her. _

_They had started appearing a few months ago, when she turned 10. They appeared in the strangest of places. In her dreams. She would have normal dreams just like any other kid, then, suddenly, her dreams would be infested by these invisible creatures. They stalked her endlessly through her dreams, always hunting her. She didn't know what would happen if they caught her, but she could feel deep down that it wasn't good. She knew that she didn't want to be caught by these things. It would not end happily if she was caught. _

_Now, she was being chased through the forest by a pack of the demons, and they were closing in. No matter how fast she ran, they always caught up. Always. She knew better than to play in the forest, and now she was going to pay. She knew that she should stay in the light, that she was cursed by these demons. She knew that she couldn't spend too long in a dark place before these demons showed up, yet here she was in a dark forest, all alone. If she died, she had no one to blame, no one except herself. _

_Sango, now ten and a half, ran as fast as she could toward the end of the forest. Where the light was. Where it was safe. She could barely see the demons, but could feel them slipping by her, the occaisional brave demon even going so far as to touch her, slide by her legs. By themselves, they weren't that dangerous, but in a pack, they could bring down anything they wanted. And now they wanted Sango. And Sango didn't know why. She risked a glance behind her, and saw a shadowy figure leap up, reaching out toward her. Sango screamed, sure that she was going to die, and felt a pair of claws dig into her back. She was knocked down into the dirt, and she immediately felt the demons swarm all over her body, their tiny claws poking and slashing at her kimono, cutting at her body. Sango screamed as the demons tore into her, and she wished that she had trained harder, learned to run faster. She felt tears running down her face, and she was sure that she was going to die. It was just a matter of time. _

_Suddenly, the demons vanished. _

_Sango sat up, sniffling, and cradled her slashed left arm. She looked around to see what was going on, who had scared them away, but saw nothing. No one was there. She got up, and ran the rest of the way out of the forest, vowing never to go into a dark forest ever again. Or anyplace dark, for that matter._

Sango looked at InuYasha as she finished telling him her encounter with the demons, and said that there were a few other instances, but they were trivial. InuYasha nodded thoughtfully. So basically all they knew was that these demons were supposed to be invisible, but for some reason both he and Sango could see them, and that they were vulnerable to light. They didn't know the origins of such demons, or what their purpose was. But they seemed fixated on Sango. They had stalked and tormented her as a child, and just now, last night. InuYasha knew that the demons weren't after him, for when he awoke, the one he had killed had been staring at Sango. It was an immediate problem, for InuYasha wouldn't have any demons stalking his demon slayer. He would solve this problem.

He wondered what could be immediately done. And the sad truth was, nothing. They couldn't do anything until the demons tried to attack again. For now, all he could do is gather information and try to put it out of his mind.

He laid back, and wondered where Kaede went. It was starting to get dark out, and she never stayed out past dusk. She must have found residence at a different cabin in the village, where she was most likely providing assistance to some of the villagers. InuYasha shrugged, and got about as comfortable as he could on the floor. He closed his eyes, and slowed his breathing. He willed sleep upon him, and was almost asleep when he heard the soft sounds of fabric rustling. He cracked open one golden eye to stare at Sango in annoyance. She was undoing the tie around her waist, and taking off her sword. Hiraikotsu, ever the faithful weapon, leaned against the cabin wall. Sango set the sword against the wall with her bone boomerang, and un-buttoned the first two clasps to her demon slayer uniform. She sighed, and took her ribbon out of her hair, shaking her head until it fell loosely around her shoulders. InuYasha couldn't help but open his other eye to stare. She was very beautiful. His breath caught in his throat when she walked over, hips swaying slightly, to lay down beside him. And she laid down a lot closer than usual.

"Do you mind if I cuddle with you tonight, InuYasha?" She asked, trying not to show her embarrassment. As much as she hated doing so, she had to provide a reason for wanting to sleep beside him so close. She decided that the truth would suffice, should he ask.

He did. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't feel too comfortable sleeping too far away from you in case those demons come back." She said. InuYasha considered what she said for a second, then nodded. He let her lay down beside him, and he tried to suppress his emotions. She laid down on her back, and sighed, stretching out. InuYasha caught sight of her lithe form, and knew that tonight was going to be a long, sleepless night. He was right. Sango started off by turning on her side, and facing InuYasha, who was also on his side. She snuggled right up against him, and put her face inches from his. Her body was pressed lightly against his, and it was driving InuYasha crazy.

Sango groaned, and found she couldn't sleep. The floor of the cabin wasn't at all like the soft ground of the forest, and it hurt her head, She was contemplating what to do, when InuYasha motioned for her to lift her head.

She did so, and he slipped his arm under her head, propping her up off the ground and relieving tension on her neck. It also gave her something comfortable to sleep on. She smiled at him, and whispered her thanks.

"Go to sleep." Was InuYasha's whispered, but firm reply. Sango pouted for an instant, and wondered how to get past the defenses of the uptight hanyou. She wondered if she should. She was taking it way too far, or so she thought. As she stared at InuYasha, she watched his eyebrows slowly go from an angry glare, to their relaxed position, and his breathing slowed. It was obvious that he was still awake, yet balancing on the edge of sleep. She wondered if she was right to want this hanyou. She didn't see anything wrong with him being a hanyou, that was never a problem, but just what he did and the way he lived. It bothered her a bit. She wondered if she would be strong enough to keep up with his day to day activities, if she became his mate. She blushed slightly at that, and was glad that InuYasha's eyes were closed. Her his mate. It had a comfortable feeling to it, but she still couldn't help but get the feeling that something wasn't right. There were so many things about him that she shouldn't like. His killing nature, for example. He slayed anything that got in his way. His anger was atrocious, and he could almost never control it. What he did to her friends. Her eyes hardened at that one. It was high time she forgave him for that. She would forgive InuYasha, and not disgrace Miroku and Kagome by hating him for it. Miroku was always forgiving in his nature, and Kagome would have immediately forgave him for anything he had done, if she were here. She wondered if InuYasha knew that Kagome secretly liked him. She sighed, and decided not to tell him. It would only serve to make him more guilty, and make him think about things that could have been, but never wil be. He had suffered enough. She knew that deep down, InuYasha regretted what he had done, and she didn't want to add to his pain and guilt. Sango looked at the hanyou, and knew that underneath his shirt was a body hardened by years of suffering and getting by on less than she would feed a common dog. InuYasha hadn't been the most popular kid in the village, she was finding out, and the more stories she heard about what had been done to him, the more her heart went out to him. That made her stop. Was she doing all this because she felt sorry for him, or because she liked him? She shook her head. She knew that she liked him. And felt sorry for him. She could do both, right?

She knew that deep down, she liked him more everyday, and that she would never ever try to lead him on if she didn't like him. That's what scared her the most. That she would wake up one day and realize that she only felt sorry for the half breed, and that she didn't actually like him. Besides feeling guilty about leading him on to dream about stuff he would never have, she would be losing out on the one person that might actually care about her. She sighed, and opened her eyes again, to look at the now sleeping boy. He might have done some bad things before, but no one was perfect, right? She certainly wasn't, and she wasn't about to judge him. She knew that if she had lived the life he had, then she would have done a lot worse to Kagome and Miroku a lot sooner. She had to commend him on holding his anger in so long.

But it still didn't make it right. The killing of two innocent humans. It only lessened the shock, made it to be expected. Of course, you treat someone like dirt for 17 years or so, not counting the 50 that he had been pinned to a tree, and they aren't going to be the kindest person in the world. What he had done could be forgiven, and she was determined to find forgiveness for him within her heart. It was there somewhere, she just needed to find it.

Determined to find her own way to forgive InuYasha for what had happened, she finally felt some measure of peace, and she put her arm around his neck, pulling herself closer to him.

InuYasha sighed inwardly. She was finally calming down. For the last ten minutes, he had been getting the most panicked confused, disoriented feeling from her, and apparently she had sorted out whatever she was thinking about, for she calmed down, and was asleep in a few minutes. InuYasha waited to see if she would wake up, but all seemed calm. He cast one last glance at her before closing his eyes, glad that she could find sleep. He was prepared to stay up the whole night with her, if need be. But he didn't have to. She was sleeping, so he could too. With this thought in mind, he slowly drifted off to sleep, mildly liking the feel of Sango sleeping close to him.

A/N: Please Review. Its there. Calling out to you. It wants you.


	13. Demons Retribution

Pure Anger 13

InuYasha's eys flew open. He was aware. He was in conrol. He broke out into a fanged grin. The demon side, that is. The demon side had control, as the weak one lay dormant, sleeping. Now was his time. His senses detected two living life forms in the room with him. He inhaled through his nose. One was the the human girl that the weak one had been travelling with, and the other was an old woman, the priestess. He listened hard. The old one was asleep, but the young one was almost awake, flitting in and out of consciousness. He looked. The priestess had no weapons, but the young one had decided to keep her sword close. He disregarded it. It would do no harm to him. He crept forward slowly, not wanting to wake her. She would scream, and wake up the priestess, then there would be problems. He crouched down by her side, and slowly moved the sword away from her fingertips. He felt a twinge inside of him, and he knew that he would have to hurry. The weak one was waking up. He quickly drew his sword, and held it under her throat, prodding her awake.

Sango awoke to a soft, insistent poking in her side. She groaned, bothered that she was being awoken, and immediately felt something touching her throat. Her eyes snapped open as she reached for her weapon, but she found that it had been moved. She cursed. She let her vision adjust to the dark, to see her assailant, and was surprised when she saw the red-eyed demon InuYasha. She cursed again, and felt the sword tip press harder into her throat. She got it. She was supposed to be silent. The demon InuYasha motioned for her to stand, and she did so, being careful to not make any noise. She started walking when InuYasha circled the sword around her throat, to her back, prodding her gently. She didn't know where she was going, but she guessed that she was going someplace where she could scream and not disturb anyone. She felt the first flickerings of fear running through her body.

InuYasha made her walk, and silently wished she would hurry up. The weak one was stirring now, putting up mild struggles against him, and it would only be a matter of time before the weak one realized that the demon was totally in control, and become enraged. He prodded Sango a bit harder, and she tensed up, walking a bit faster. InuYasha also increased his pace, not letting his sword point lose contact with her back. InuYasha grinned as he thought about what would take place. He would slay this troublesome demon slayer, let the weak one out, taste the blood, and surely the weak one would realize that killing was fun. After that, they would co-operate, share teh same body, and become much stronger than they ever could alone. Then, they would go back to the village, united in their quest for blood, and terrorize the village, killing anyone who got in their way. Then he had a thougt. It made him smile dangerously. They would just kill anyone they could find.

Sango took a deep breath, and remembered the weapon she had against InuYasha. Now she just had to find a place to use it. She couldn't use it right now, she would get taken out by it too. She let her breath out. Soon. Soon she would be free. Sango was prodded in the direction of the village's boundaries, and they stopped just outside of it. Any huts with people in them were located in the centre of the village, so no one would hear her resulting screams. She tensed up as she felt the sword dig deeper into her back. She thought he was just prodding her a bit, so she took another step, but that just resulted in a warning growl from him. Her mind raced. What did he want? She shook her head, and stopped, feeling the point press into her back even more. Then, as the sword cut through her skin, she realized that he was intent on killing her, and that she had better act now.

"InuYasha..." She said softly. His excellent hearing caught it.

"What??" He growled out, pressing the sword in deeper through her skin. Sango could feel blood dripping down her back. It was now or never.

"SIT!"

BAM!

The reaction was instant, and she wished that she could have seen the look on his face as the necklace pulled him face down into the dirt. She couldn't however, for two reasons. First, her back was to him, and second, she was too busy screaming in pain as the sword was pulled down, cutting a deep bloody path all down her back. She screamed, and fell to the ground, the cut going all the way down to her lower back. And it was deep too.

InuYasha got up, angrier than ever. His eyes were still tinted red, but not as bad as before. The weak one was awake now, having been jerked forcefully from his sleep by the sit command. And now the weak one was pissed off. It was rudely awakened, and it was rudely awakened to find that Sango was on the ground, writhing in pain, bleeding heavily from a deep slash on her back, a wound inflicted by his demon side. The hanyou side was seriously pissed. His hanyou side rose up, and took over his body, slamming the demon side back into where ever it had come from. Sango needed to be tended to first, but after that, the demon side was going to face hell.

InuYasha gently picked up Sango, who was whimpering in pain, tears flowing freely down her face, and he held her tightly to him, running toward the village. The whole time he was berating himself for dropping his guard and allowing his demon blood to take advantage of him. He could still feel it, the demonic impulses that ran through his body, threatening to take over and finish the job that had been started. The use of the sit had transformed him completely, without much trouble, but it hadn't taken out his demon side, it had merely shocked it into obedience for a while. It would return with a vengeance in a while. InuYasha looked down at Sango, and wondered how many more times she would have to go through all this, and if she would forgive him this time. He felt the old anger rising up in him, but this time it wasn't directed at the girl in his arms, it was directed at himself. He knew how bad his anger could be, and part of him was about to experience it first hand. He growled softly, and ripped through Kaede's light summer door covering, startling the old woman into wakefulness.

"Wake up and help her!" He demanded, setting Sango down gently on the floor. Kaede rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and looked over Sango. She looked up at InuYasha, still not comprehending with her sleep filled mind.

"Where is the wound, child?" She asked, confused. InuYasha grimaced, and looked away. "On her back." He said. Kaede gently turned her over, and gasped when she saw the long slash.

"Can you help her?" InuYasha asked harshly, to cover up his worry. To his surprise, Kaede laughed gently.

"Don't worry, InuYasha, this is a mere scratch compared to what Sango has had me treat before." She said, starting up the fire, for warmth, light, and sterilization of tools.

Sango was unconscious from lack of blood, and pain. InuYasha felt a pain in his chest, over his heart, and had to look away. Sango was so cut up, and it was his fault. That's when the full force of the feelings he had for her hit him full force. He really did like this woman. And he was also responsible for her grevious injury. He felt like throwing up. It made him sick to his stomach that he would let something like this happen to her. After a few minutes of watching Kaede clean the wound, he had enough.

"Kaede," InuYasha said in a rough voice. "Tell Sango when she awakes that I'm so sorry, and that she might not see me for a day or two, that I have to go take care of something." He said. He cast a single last glance at his friend, and fled out the door before Kaede could speak, running into the night. He knew where he was going, and he hoped that he returned alive.

Inside, Sango was confused. All around her were trees. She was in some sort of forest. She turned around, and all she saw were trees. Then, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Someone was watching her. She spun around and gasped, coming face to face with InuYasha. She felt a flicker of fear, but knew that she didn't have anything to worry about...yet. InuYasha stood in front of her, a small smile on his face, the wind blowing his silver hair all about his face. She longed to reach out and touch his face, but she dared not to. InuYasha was picky about his personal space. So she didn't. She continued to stare at him, unable to take her eyes off him. Then, she noticed that he was slowly turning darker, as if the sun was disappearing behind a cloud, and he was cast into darkness. But the darkness didn't spread to her, or anything else. Just him. Then, his form was completely black, and before she could react, his eyes glowed bright red. Just for a second. She could have sworn that he was a full demon for a second. For a second, in that darkness, his form seemed slightly bigger, more menacing. Angrier. Then, the darkness slowly lifted, and he was almost fully bright again. Almost, but not quite. He wasn't as pure as he used to be. Then, with a chill, Sango realized that she was looking at a representation of his soul, and the anger and hate that plagued it. She wondered if he would ever be as untainted as he had started off. She didn't know. Then, his form started to get darker, but only a little bit, and she had visions. The visions made her kneel over in pain, as the thoughts burst their way into her head, unbidden and uncalled. InuYasha was attacking her, and she couldn't do anything. The visions kept coming. Now he was holding her up by her throat, and she was powerless. His form turned a bit darker, and his rage increased. He got ready to slice through her head, when at the last moment, a spark of brightess seemed to chase away the darkness from his body, and his attack was diverted, only cutting her cheek. Then the bright light, located over his heart, seemed to spread, and the darkness slowly faded. But it did not dissappear. It was hovering around the edges of his form, flitting away when the light got too bright, always coming back when the light faded. Then, his form turned totally black, the light rapidly dissappearing, and she had more visions. Visions of what had happened. She saw herself being led away from the village, and slowly impaled. Then she saw herself yell out the word sit, though no voice reached her ears. As she saw InuYasha's body crash to the ground, the darkness faded from InuYasha's form, turning him almost invisible. Then the light slowly came out, and claimed the rest of his form. She saw herself being carried to the hut, and halfway there, her visions ceased. Sango guessed that's where she had passed out. She looked down at the ground, trying to make sense of what she had seen. Then she looked back up to where InuYasha stood before her, a smile now back on his gentle features. Half his body was covered with the darkness, but the other half pulsed with the light, and she knew that he was fighting inside for what he knew was right. Slowly he faded, and she turned around, ready to leave this dream world. Suddenly, a whole other feeling encompassed her body. The feeling that an enemy was near. She looked around, and saw nothing.

Then something flitted across her peripheral vision. She tried to turn and catch it, but she got nothing. There, in the corner of her other eye. She spun around, but didn't see anything. She was starting to get nervous. She looked around, and saw that hundreds of things were running around, just out of her field of view.

With a shiver, she realized what they were. They were the invisible demons. Sango shuddered, and started backing up. She saw an adventurous one hop out of the shadows and creep along the ground toward her, barely visible, nothing more than a shadow itself. She was concentrating on it hard,and didn't notice when the rest of them slowly circled behind her. She then realized very quickly what had happened, when she felt thousands of small teeth biting into her back. She then realized that she had been attacked, and as she was pulled down to the ground, she realized that she was going to die. The pain in her back increased until she couldn't take it anymore. She opened her mouth to scream...

Sango awoke screaming, and realized that Kaede was attending to her wounds. She took a few deeps breaths, and wiped the sweat off her forehead, trying to calm her breathing. She waited a few minutes, till she had caught her breath, then inquired as to where InuYasha was. Kaede's reply was less than satisfying.

"Sango dear, he sends his apologies and told me to tell you that he might not see you for a couple days, he has to go take care of something." Kaede said. Sango nodded. The first person she wanted to talk to was InuYasha, and he couldn't even be here. But, she did get an apology from him, which was something. She laid back down on her stomach, and let Kaede resume her work on her back.

InuYasha leaned against the tree, and closed his eyes. The God Tree was an excellent place to think, and what better place than this to go inside himself for what could be the last and hardest fight of his life? He took a few deep breaths, and calmed himself. He looked deep inside his mind and heart, until he found who he was looking for.

_The demon inside him glared at him. _

_"What do you want?" He asked sourly. InuYasha stared back at him. _

_"I want to fight you to the death." He said. The demon laughed. _

_InuYasha kept a level face. "I'm serious, even if neither of us actually dies, the winner of the fight can have this body, and control it without inturruption from the loser." InuYasha said. The demon was now interested. _

_"How do you propose we set up this fight?" The demon asked. "Shall it be a physical fight, or a mental and emotional one?" The demon asked. InuYasha was feeling desperate, and knew that he couldn't win on strength alone. _

_"All." Was his answer. The demon inside him agreed. A few seconds later, they were transported from the empty plains lined with bits of beautiful coral that represented his heart to a large range of mountains that represented his inner strength. Like the mountains, he would be strong forever, and it would take a cataclysmic force to throw him off his objective. InuYasha waited for the demon to manifest, and a few seconds later, the demons chosen form appeared in front of him. It was an exact copy of him, except that it had slightly different features. The long flowing silver hair had the ends dyed red, about an inch up from the tips of his hair. The demon wore no shirt, and oddly resembled his actual demon form, when he transformed, albiet without the red streaks. His face contorted until purple lines appeared on his cheeks, and his talons grew longer, sharper. His fangs grew in size, and the eyes, normally gold, glowed eerily with a hint of red to them. InuYasha took a deep breath, and wondered if he could kill this beast. His odds were almost nothing. It was common knowledge. Half demons could kill humans, and full demons could kill both. Humans couldn't kill half demons, and half demons couldn't kill demons. The difference in strength and speed was too immense. InuYasha then realized what he had done in a bout of guilt and fear. He had resigned himself to a fight he had no chance of winning. The outcomes would be worse. If the demon won, InuYasha would be bound by his agreement. He would have to stand by as the demon took over his body, killing everyone. InuYasha knew who he would go after first. Sango and Kaede. He flexed his claws, and was determined to give it his all._

Sango walked outside, and sighed, leaning against the cabin. It had been three days, and InuYasha was nowhere to be found. She was depressed, despite healing completely, sad that she couldn't talk to her hanyou. She sighed again, and heard a chuckle. She looked over curiously to Kaede, who had issued the chuckle.

"Yes, Kaede?" She asked, prompting her to explain what was so funny.

"Well, child, you like InuYasha, right?" She asked. Sango blushed lightly, and nodded. At least Kaede didn't use the word 'love', and make it look like something it wasn't.

"Yes, Kaede, he is very important to me, and I want to find that he is well and safe." She said. Kaede shrugged.

"And you have waited around for three days to see if he would come back to you, correct?" She asked. Sango nodded.

"Well, perhaps he cannot come to you." She said. "Not that he doesn't want to, but perhaps he cannot. Unable to." She said. "You should go look for him."

Sango sighed. "I have, Kaede, there is no finding him. He is nowhere in this village, and the forest is empty, so that means..." She trailed off, not knowing what it meant.

"It means that he is..." Kaede left it open for her, and Sango's eyes widened as she realized.

"He's at the God Tree!" She exclaimed, grabbing her sword and taking off.

Kaede watched her run, and sighed, hoping that Sango wasn't shocked by what she was about to see.

Sango walked throughout the forest, calling InuYasha's name. She got no response. She was getting close to the God Tree, and she glimpsed a bit of red through the tree banches. Immediately relieved, she called out InuYasha's name again, running into the clearing. What she saw made her stop in her tracks, and InuYasha's name catch in her throat.

InuYasha was leaning against the tree, and vines had started to snake over his body. He was slowly being claimed by the tree, and it was frightening. Sango regained her senses, and walked over, inspecting him more closely. His skin was pale, and his face was turned to one side, his neck limp. He had three vines over him, one around his neck, one going up his waist and over his shoulder, and one around his left leg. He looked like he was dehydrated, and starving. He was obviously here for the three days he had gone missing, and he appeared to be in some sort of trance. His breathing was extremely light, and he only took a breath every minute or so. The soft wind was shifting his silver hair ever so slightly, and aside from the traces of starvation and dehydration, she could have swore he was sleeping.

That was until she noticed the cuts. They were all over his body, everywhere except his face. The cuts were about seven inches long, and were all over his legs, arms, chest, throat, and stomach. She felt herself getting sick just seeing him in this condition. She reached her hand out slowly to touch his face, and drew back sharply, alarmed as a slashing sound was heard, followed by a ripping sound, and a cut slowly appeared on InuYasha's left cheek. Sango's breath hitched in her throat, and she felt the tears leaking from her eyes. InuYasha was tearing himself apart inside, trying to kill his demon half, for what reason she didn't know. It was horrible to watch. She watched in terror as a few more cuts appeared on his body, bleeding slowly. Sango wondered if he would win his internal fight. She was dying to help him, patch up his cuts, wipe his sweaty brow, but she knew deep down in her heart that InuYasha had to win this one by himself, without any help. That's why he had come here alone. The most she could do was stay here and watch over him until he regained consciousness. She sniffed, wiped away her tears, and concentrated on setting up camp near the desperate hanyou. She would stay with him until he regained consciousness, or he...She refused to think of that. InuYasha would win, and wake up. Simple as that. She knew he was struggling inside, and while she couldn't actually help him, and it hurt to know that, she could still be here when he woke up. She straightened up, wiped the tears from her eyes, and busied herself with work, not caring how long she had to stay here with his near lifeless body.

_InuYasha took a deep breath, and crouched down. His demon side was crazy, and it appeared that he had unlimited energy. InuYasha was tired. He didn't know how long he had been fighting, but he was sure it was more than 12 hours. He was sure of it. He saw his demon side attack, and he stood up just a bit too slow, taking a slash across the left cheek for his failure. He growled, and counter attacked, punching out with his right arm. His demon side was too fast, however, and easily dodged the attack. InuYasha knew he couldn't win like this. He would have to try something else._

_"So tell me, what's it like living every day, thinking only of yourself and not caring about others?" He called out, and the demon laughed. _

_"IT'S GREAT!" Was the reply. InuYasha smirked. _

_"So all those people you killed, it doesn't bother you?" He asked. The demon laughed again._

_"You ask that like I have a conscience, or something, like I actually care." He said. InuYasha feigned surprise._

_"You mean you don't?" He asked. "But all living things have a conscience, that's what make them live." He said. "Your telling me that your dead? So I have no need to kill you, I have already won?"_

_The demon grimaced. "Of course I have a conscience, but it doesn't bother me!" He said. InuYasha shook his head._

_"I'm not asking you to cry me a river for every life you've taken, but at least tell me that you care about them." InuYasha said. The demon shook his head._

_"I don't." He said. "That's what makes me better than you."_

_InuYasha shook his head. "No, that's what makes you sadder than me." He said. "You don't actually have a life, do you?" He asked. "You exist only to kill, and it's slowly eating you from the inside. Don't you ever desire anything else?" He asked. "Like a normal life where people accept you for who you are and what you are?"_

_The demon growled loudly._

_"Shutup!" He yelled, launching himself across the distance separating them. InuYasha didn't need to dodge, he couldn't anyway, and he wouldn't need to. The demon thrust his talons through InuYasha's stomach, and ripped his arm out violently, making InuYasha cough up blood._

_"See?" InuYasha asked, knowing where to attack his demon side now. "You say your so strong, but you couldn't even kill me and I was standing still!" He scoffed. "And your so weak, you give in to the first cravings of bloodshed, without thinking that your strong enough to resist it." InuYasha said. "Sure, your strong enough to kill a few humans, but that's nothing to brag about. Brag about true strength when you can resist the need to kill, and actually control your impusles." _

_The demon glared at InuYasha with hate in his eyes._

_"Your nothing but a disgusting half breed spewing garbage about resisting my impulses, and controlling myself." He said. "You think your so much better, like you have a handle on your emotions. You couldn't even stop yourself from killing Sango's friends in anger, and you dare talk down to me? And you couldn't even stop yourself from becoming attracted to a demon slayer." He said mockingly. "A damn Demon Slayer! A person that kills things like you! What makes you think she'll ever want you back?"_

_InuYasha, despite his lecture, was feeling the old anger return. He didn't like this anger, and what it made him do, but perhaps he would have one more use for it._

_"Face it. You live only to kill others weaker than you, and nothing else. You have no place in my body, and I'm getting rid of you." InuYasha said. He felt the anger down deep inside if him and he knew that he would need a lot of it to kill this thing. Then maybe, with his inner demon gone, his angry impulses would calm down. But for now, he desperately needed his anger._

_He thought back to when he was a kid. Alway picked on, and never retailiating for fear that his mother would be the one to take the punishment. Then when his mother died, that day he would remember forever. InuYasha dropped to his knees, and closed his eyes. Then when Kagome had come along, and started annoying him. His anger rose a bit more. Then, in his own moment of weakness, he had killed her and Miroku, the monk. His anger level shot up, and he started trembling. He remembered how much he had hurt Sango, and he felt his claws digging into his palms as his hands formed fists. He thought through this fight, how he was physically useless, he couldn't land a single blow. Sure he had gotten the demon mentally, but he wanted to hurt the demon physically. His anger was through the roof now, and it could not be contained. Cuts healed, holes filled in, His body was becoming pure, and there was just one more thing to do. InuYasha stood up, and opened his eyes. He stared at the demon with and endless rage, and targeted it as the source of his problems. InuYasha's bright silver eyes shone with his anger, and he flexed his claws, willing his anger to manifest itself. It did. His claws lengthened, and sharpened. His fangs grew stronger, and sharper, longer. His senses keener. His speed faster. He was trembling on the ragged edge of sanity, and that's when he realized that he didn't want to be sane. He wanted to let go, just once, and feel what the demon felt. He let go._

_As if on a spring, InuYasha shot forward, punching the demon in the face. His movements were swift, and he landed his hit before the demon could react. He sent his look-alike staggering backwards, and InuYasha grinned. This was the feeling of power, and using his anger, and it felt good. He picked up the disoriented demon by the throat. He vaguely remembered that the bastard in his hands was doing something like this to someone he cared about, and he wondered what he should do. The demon struggled against his strong grip, and InuYasha raised the demon up so that his feet no longer touched the ground. It was akward watching a copy of himself being strangled by himself, but he didn't care. _

_"Do you remember doing this to a certain weak human girl?" InuYasha asked. The demon coughed out an answer, but InuYasha didn't care. All the demon had to do was imagine what was coming next, he didn't have to answer._

_InuYasha slowly raised his free fist, and curled his hand into a ball. Then he had another thought, and uncurled his hand, so that his claws stuck straight out. The demons struggling immediately increased. InuYasha reached his arm back as far as it would go, and tensed up the muscle. It was quivering now, and he stopped, just a second. He held his arm back just long enough to see the fear flash through the demons eyes, before he released his hand._

_The sound was sickening, and so was getting splashed by the demons blood. InuYasha grimaced, and dropped the lifeless body, now missing most of the top of it's head. He had won. The demon was finished, but InuYasha had to wonder if he was any better than the demon he had killed. The answer came to him almost immediately._

_For Sango's sake, it had to be done. He had killed the only reason for his anger, and now, he doubted he would ever get so angry that he felt like killing anyone ever again. That wasn't to his liking anyway. It was the demon's side. He liked to kill people. InuYasha knew that things were going to go a lot smoother now that his demon side was gone. InuYasha thought back to the immense feeling of anger that had gripped his body in the last few moments. He liked it, but was glad it was just a one time thing. With the demon died all his reasons for ever getting that angry. He sighed. It was over. _

Sango sighed. It was the seventh day she was out here, and not a peep out of InuYasha. She had barely slept any of the nights she had spent out here, and was dead tired. She was about to pass out when a soft moan startled her from her thoughts. She got up quickly, and ran to the tree. InuYasha was coming around, and she was surprised that he was even alive, seeing how bad a shape he was in. All cut up, he looked like he was dying. His ribs were slightly visible, and his skin was dry, as was most of him. It killed her to not drip some water into his mouth, but she knew that she couldn't or InuYasha wouldn't have won his fight by himself. And it was important that he win by himself. InuYasha slowly opened his golden eyes, and for a second, Sango thought she saw a flicker of silver in there. She dismissed it as her imagination playing tricks on her. InuYasha looked at her, and smiled.

"I won, Sango, he's dead. I killed him." He said, his voice rough. Sango hushed him, and told him not to talk. She got her katana, and quickly cut the seven vines that held him to the tree, catching him as he stumbled, unable to support his own weight. He coughed a few times, and Sango led him over to a spot she had cleared on the ground. She laid him down, and he immediately fell into a deep sleep, recovering from whatever had taken place inside of him.

Glad that he was okay, Sango laid down beside him, suddenly very tired. InuYasha was sleeping, why shouldn't she? She fell asleep right beside him, but not before her hand sought out his, holding on to him tightly. Tomorrow would bring rest, food, and all the answers to the questions she had. But for now, her beautiful hanyou was safe, sleeping beside her, and she was tired. She was glad that InuYasha was okay. Sleep took her, and she had no more thoughts.


	14. InuYasha Forgiven

Pure Anger Chapter 14.

InuYasha awoke, and realized that he was starving. literally starving. His body had eaten what little fat was on his body while he was attached to the tree, and he was left with skin and bone. He was starving. Another day or two and he would have been dead. He was surprised that he didn't have brain damage from the lack of food and water. As all his senses woke up, he realized that he was still in the forest, Sango was right beside him, holding his hand, and that she was still sleeping. He opened his eyes fully and looked over at her. He grimaced. She looked like hell. Her skin was dirty, and she looked like she hadn't eaten in forever. She had probably been living on water, too worried to eat. He cursed himself. How many times was he going to hurt this girl?

He shook his head, and slowly let go of her hand. He needed food, water, and a urinal break. He slowly walked into the forest, hoping that nothing happened. Right now would be a shitty time to be attacked, for he was weak, useless, slow, and couldn't fight. From the looks of it, Sango was down and out of it too. He sighed, and finished relieving himself. He walked back, and saw that there was a flask of water next to her. He picked it up, and gulped down copious amounts of water, at the same time telling himself that he would get sick if he drank too fast. He didn't care. He took another mouthful, and realized that the flask was getting lighter. He forcefully stopped himself, and willed himself to set the water down. Sango would need it when she awoke. He felt some of his energy returning, and he started looking for food. He was too weak to hunt for fresh meat, and he doubted his stomach would be able to handle it anyway. He wanted something small, soft, and wet. Noodles would be so perfect right now. His stomach growled hungrily, and he tried to put it from his mind, craving the moisture. He wanted more liquid. He searched around their camp, until he found a small pack that Sango had put together while she was here. He opened it, and almost yelled in relief when he found a stash of instant noodles. The kind from Kagome's time. Sango had intelligently saved hers for an emergency, their ease of cooking and nutritional value making them invaluable. InuYasha took one, and ripped the top halfway off. He grabbed Sango's water bottle, and held it over the embers of a fire that had been started last night. He blew gently on the embers, until he had a fire roaring loudly. He set the bottle on a rock inside the fire, knowing that it would take a few minutes to get it warm.

He sighed. He was starving. The few minutes passed slowly, until InuYasha decided to remove the bottle from the flames. He opened it up, and poured out the contents into his ramen bowl. He closed the lid he had ripped half off, and waited yet another few minutes. He reflected on his battle, and why he had won. He had won because he had let anger take over him, driving him to the edge of insanity, and beyond. His demon side did that periodically, so it was only fitting that he be killed by the one thing he was so good at. Getting angry enough to kill someone. InuYasha sighed again. He had defeated his inner demons, and now knew that no matter what happened, he would never ever lose control like that again. He was the only one residing in his body now, and he was in full control. He smirked. It felt good. His demon blood still flowed beneath the surface, and InuYasha had no doubt that he would transform again when his life was threatened and his death became imminent. It was a safety mechanism, and he hadn't gotten rid of it. He had just gotten rid of the infinite anger that had accompanied a transformation. When he transformed now, he would be in control. He would have his speed, his power, but most of all, he would have his own free will.

He glanced over at Sango as he gently lifted the cup of noodles off the flat rock they had been sitting on. He slid a pair of chopsticks into the noodles, (the chopsticks came with the noodles, in a plastic package glued to the side of his cup, much like the juice boxes he had gotten.) and slowly raised one to his mouth, blowing on it softly, before putting it in his mouth. He had almost forgot how good food could be. Sango was starting to wake up, and he smiled at her. No matter how dirty she got, no matter how tousled her hair, she was still beautiful. His smile saddened at that a bit. He liked to fantasize sometimes that she was his, but he knew that the chances of that happening were very small. He looked away, as she opened her eyes. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, watched her look to where he was supposed to be, then look up in confusion, to see him sitting on the ground, head bowed, eating her noodles.

She got up, stretched, and walked over, crouching beside him.

"How do you feel?" She asked softly, sleep still clouding her voice. InuYasha nodded. "Pretty good, I felt so weak and hungry this morning, but when I got some water, and now food, I feel so much better." He said. She smiled and laid her tired head on his shoulder. "That's good." She said, her breathing slowing. InuYasha wondered if she would fall asleep on his shoulder, but she merely laid there for a few seconds, before getting up. She yawned, and realized just how dirty she was.

"Be back in a few minutes, InuYasha." She said, staring at her dirt covered hands. "I'm going to take a bath."

"Take your sword!" He called over his shoulder, and she chuckled.

"You sure you don't want me to leave it here for you, InuYasha?" She asked. "Seems you need it more than me!"

InuYasha growled softly, the action hurting his still slightly dry throat. He shook his head, and repeated himself.

She acknowledged him, and picked up her sword, dissappearing into the forest. InuYasha was left alone for about half an hour, plenty of time for him to get bored and decide to put his time to good use.

He straightened up his story, got ready for any questions she had, and filling in the difficult parts he knew she would have trouble with.

When she returned, he was ready to recite his tale for her.

Sango wandered into camp a half hour later, and stared at InuYasha. He was sitting in front of the still-burning fire, and was staring into it, obviously deep in thought. He didn't hear her coming up behind him, or if he did, he didn't acknowledge her. She decided to see if he was thinking or just ignoring her. She slipped up behind him, all clean now, and put her arms around his neck, leaning gently against his back. He was silent for a few seconds, which meant he knew of her advances, and then he spoke.

"Want to know what happened?" He asked. Sango nodded, and he felt the motion against the side of his head. She got up, and moved around to his front, sitting down and looking at him.

InuYasha took a deep breath, then started.

"I learned that, even though I killed Kagome and Miroku as a half demon, that it was my demon side that became increasingly angrier as time went on, and motivated my moves." He said. Sango nodded.

"After a while, it wasn't even me anymore. The demon side would come out when my guard was down, and always look for someont to kill." InuYasha looked at Sango.

"A lot of times it turned out to be you." He said softly. Sango swallowed, and nodded, remembering all the times the demon side of InuYasha had threatened her life.

"Anyway, after that last time, when your back got cut open, I was sick of it. I had started to care for you-" His face started to turn red slightly at this point. "-And I wasn't about to stand by and let you be hurt." He said. "I went away, driven by anger and guilt, and came here. I went deep inside, trying to find the answers for all my problems, and instead, I found the problem. It was my demon side. Any anger I felt, since anger is a common normal emotion, was multiplied greatly by him, to the point where I didn't care what happened, or who got killed. I was simply trying to find the best way to relieve some anger." He stopped, took a breath, and continued. "Turns out it wasn't the best way to relieve my anger at all." He said softly.

Sango broke in here.

"Why were you so angry all the time?" She asked. InuYasha looked at her. It wasn't a complicated question, but it had a long answer.

"Well, I don't know if you heard any stories, but the first time I started getting angry, and noticing that I had thoughts of hurting other people, was when I was picked on as a kid, for being what I am." He said. "All day, everyday, kicked, punched, spat on, teased, made fun of, shunned, not allowed to participate in games, it all happened to me. All my life I saw how they enjoyed hurting me, and my anger came from two main problems, after I was bullied. The first was that I wanted to hurt them back for hurting me, and I couldn't, for there were so many of them, and I didn't know how to fight back then. All those years of holding in that anger finally snapped, and Kagome and Miroku paid the price." He stopped to let that sink in, not wanting to pass over Miroku and Kagome's names like they were nothing.

"The second reason I was so angry was that, the whole time they bullied and hit me, they laughed. Normally, being laughed at would hurt anybody, but being a kid back then, I was more concerned with something else. Fun, and how I never got to have any. They were laughing, and joking while they hit me, so I assumed that they were having fun. At a very early age I learned to associate violence and hurting people as ways to get rid of anger, and to have fun." He said. "That's why I was so angry, and why I expressed my anger like that."

Sango nodded, and wondered why InuYasha would tell her stuff like that. It was obviously very personal stuff, and he wouldn't tell it to just anyone. Her heart skipped a beat. Did that mean he liked her as more than a friend, or was he just answering her question, in a rare good mood?

InuYasha detected the heart beat increase, and his brow creased.

"Is anything wrong, Sango?" He asked. Sango looked up quickly, and shook her head. "No, InuYasha, nothings wrong." She smiled a real, warm smile at him. "Thanks for asking though." She said. This time it was InuYasha's turn to feel his heart skip a beat. She didn't smile like that very often, and especially not at him. He shook his head, and cast it from his mind. She wouldn't like him like that anyway. He decided to continue with his story.

"Another part to it, the whole anger thing, and mainly why the demon came out when I was angry, is because I listened all my life to people tell me that I was a half-breed, and that I was nothing. So, when I got too angry, my demon side came out. I think it was partly me, when I got really angry, I remember sometimes wishing that I was something else other than a half-demon."

Sango noticed that he said 'something else' and not 'someone else.'

"My demon blood reacted to that anger, and those wishes, and I eventually transformed. My demon side came out, ready to prove to everybody that I was more than a half-demon, and it proved it the most effective way possible. By killing anyone it came into contact with. Not the best solution, but the only one readily available. After all, my demon side, all it had access to was my thoughts and memories. All of my thoughts and memories were filled with anger and pain, having been bullied and abused. So it reacted in kind. It fed on the anger, and retaliated. It did to others what was done to me." InuYasha looked down at the ground.

"When I got sick of it all, not having control of my body or emotions, I decided to end it. I was sick of you getting hurt, and I didn't want to deal with it anymore, or be responsible for anything else happening to you. So I confronted my demon side."

InuYasha glossed over the battle, giving a few details about the conversation, then stood up.

"In the end, I killed him, but it was only because I got really angry. I was so angry that I couldn't live a normal life, without it being inturrupted by a demon with a fixation on the past, and always committing heinous acts, all out of anger. All that killing he did, there was no revenge in it, no honour, no reason other than to kill as many people as possible. I was so angry, I remember what it was like to snap and go over the edge. All my life, I was trapped when my demon side came out, while he experienced all the thrills of killing, I was horrified by what he was doing. But in the final battle, I snapped, and felt the glorious rush that one feels when you realize that you have total control over your enemy, and that your so angry that nothing will hold you back, nothing can stop you, and you rush in for the kill, feeling every muscle twitch in anticipation, shoving your fist through someones face."

InuYasha blinked and calmed his racing heart.

"I felt it. It was a good feeling, but I would never want to go back and do it again." He said softly. "I never want to take another human life as long as I live. I'm past being angry now, what was done before, is done. I can't change it, or go back and right the wrongs that were committed against me. I don't want to, either. I just want to move on, start the healing, and forget about it."

Sango got up also, and moved over to him. She stood in front of him, and looked up into his sad face. It was a change, but a welcome change. Before, he would have been so angry at having to admit that he was abused as a child, he was a half-demon, and that he hadn't had the perfect life. Now, he was sad about it, as he had every right to be, but he was ready to move on, and rebuild what he had lost. She was also ready to move on, and rebuild the life she had lost. She smiled at him, and slowly raised her hand to his face. She gently stroked his cheek, and he looked her in the eyes. Sango knew that what she was about to say was true, something that she was feeling in her heart.

"InuYasha, I forgive you for everything that you've done to me, and the lives you've taken. I forgive you for everything, and I hold nothing against you." She said.

Inside, InuYasha felt a lot better. He knew that he didn't show it, but he longed for Sango to forgive him for what had happened. He was glad she could forgive him for what he had done, and it made him happier than he had ever been in his entire life.

"Thank you Sa-" He was cut off as she stood on her tip toes, kissing him on the mouth. She closed her eyes, and InuYasha slowly let his close, finding peace and safety in her kiss. Her lips were so warm and soft, and InuYasha couldn't help but feel that this was right. He slowly slipped his arms around her waist, and she raised her arms to circle around his neck. InuYasha tilted his head to the side a bit, and slowly opened his mouth a bit. She responded in kind, blushing slightly as she recieved, and gave, her first open mouthed kiss. She kissed him for a few more seconds, before slowly pulling away. She smiled happily up at InuYasha, and he grinned back down, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so glad that you didn't leave me Sango." He said. "Even though you had so many chances, you never left, and I owe you so much." He said. "I never showed it, but you helped me through a lot of things, even if it didn't look like I was troubled, sometimes I was, and just thinking of you helped me through it."

Sango shushed him gently, and shook her head. "You don't owe me anything InuYasha, but if you want to pay me back, I'll take a few more of your kisses..."

InuYasha happily obliged, kissing her deeply, showing her just how much he cared about her, and how happy he was to have her as a friend.

A/N Pleeeeeeze review! I need teh reviewz0rz!!! pl0x!! Teh Reviewzzz!


	15. Sango's soul bound to the demons

Pure Anger 15.

InuYasha awoke, still slightly weak from his ordeal. He looked over to his right, and smiled. Sango was sleeping right beside him, her hand holding his. He loved feeling her hand touching his, and if he could hold her hand forever he was sure that he would never be unhappy. He sighed, and got up, slowly letting go of her. He had to get food, or he would pass out. He felt good enough to hunt, and in a few minutes, he was eating a slightly raw rabbit.

As was becoming more routine, Sango awoke shortly after him, disturbed from her sleep by the loss of InuYasha's hand, and his warm presence beside her. She sat up, and smiled at him, making him blush. He didn't know why, but when she smiled like _that_, it felt as if she were thinking about him, in some very naughty ways. He looked away, and a few seconds later she came over to sit beside him.

"How are you this morning?" She asked, her voice soft, and to InuYasha's ears, very sexy.

"G-good." He said. "And you?"

She shrugged, and glanced sideways at him. "I could be better." She said slyly. InuYasha wondered what she meant.

"How? Are you sick? Do you not feel good?" He asked, wondering if she was ill. Sango laughed softly, and shook her head.

"No, I'm not sick, but there are some things that I want that I don't have." She said quietly. InuYasha asked her what she meant.

"Well, for starters..." She leaned in and kissed him on the mouth, bringing her hand up to stroke his cheek. InuYasha, taken by surprise, didn't respond for a second, but when he did, it was to kiss her back, hard. He didn't know she wanted that. He let himself be pushed down on the ground by her, as she straddled his waist, and he wondered what she was thinking right now.

Sango broke off the kiss to his lips, and started exploring the hanyou she had long ago thought of as hers. She kissed his throat, and let her hands slide down his chest to play with his haori. She found the edge, and slipped her hands up, running her fingers over his body. She slid her hands over his chest, and could feel the increase in his heartbeat. She smirked, and kissed him gently on the throat, sucking on his collar bone. InuYasha couldn't supress his moan of pleasure, and blushed heavily when she laughed softly at it. He couldn't control his hands any longer, but figured that it didn't matter, seeing as Sango was feeling him up anyway. He slowly let his hands come up off the ground, to slide around her waist. He slowly slid them up her body, around her back, gently rubbing her back, then her stomach, before sliding back down and passing lightly over her bum, to slide down her perfect legs. He kissed her on the mouth, and slid his hands back up to her bum, squeezing her gently. She moaned, and jumped slightly, his touch arousing her beyond her limits. Her breathing became heavier, and she arched her back as his fingers tickled her spine. InuYasha took that opportunity to lean up and kiss her exposed throat, and she felt her knees go weak as he kissed her.

InuYasha, knowing that her arms and legs must be getting tired, gently pushed her off to the side, laying her down and reversing their positions. He was aroused now, and wasn't in full control of his actions. He licked her throat, and gently nipped her, causing her to moan. InuYasha blushed again when he heard that, and he looked at her beautiful face. She was blushing heavily, and her eyes were squeezed closed, her body squirming as she tried to contain the feelings she had for InuYasha. InuYasha grinned, and decided that he liked getting her like this. He slid his hands down to her stomach, and started rubbing her there. She tilted her head to the side, and InuYasha took the opportunity to kiss her, nipping her again. His hands went a bit lower. Not much, but a bit, and her hips involuntarily bucked toward his hand. He smiled at her reactions.

He slipped his hand up her stomach, to her arms. He raised both her arms over her head, and held them there with one hand, the other playing with her hair. She was now stretched out beneath him, and she was beautiful.

InuYasha used his free hand to gently squeeze her right breast, her slim demon slayer suit doing nothing to conceal her erect nipples. She gasped loudly when his hand touched her breast, and for a second InuYasha feared he had done something wrong. He quickly withdrew his hand, and Sango opened her eyes, pouting at him.

"Tease." She said softly. InuYasha looked down at her, confused. "What?"

Sango glared at him. "I want you to keep doing that, and then you go and take your hand away." She said. "It felt so good too..."

InuYasha smirked. "What, you mean this felt good?" He asked, sliding his hand ever so gently over her breasts. She moaned again, and her back arched, trying to press herself into his touch.

"Yeah...That feels good." She said, breathlessly. InuYasha grinned, and removed his hand. "Then I guess it would be good if I continued, right?" He asked. Sango nodded hurriedly, wanting him to continue.

He slid his hands up her body, stopping right beneath her breasts.

"Hmm, I don't know, I didn't hear you asking me politely." He said. Sango closed her eyes. His hands were so near, yet so far. The pleasure was hovering just out of reach, and he knew it.

"Please, InuYasha." She said. "Please do it again."

By now she was so wet, and InuYasha was overwhelmed by the sweet spicy smell of her arousal. He slid his hand up a bit further, until his fingers were cupping the bottom of her right breast, and he slowly moved his thumb, rubbing it ever so gently against her breast. She moaned, and was glad she was on the ground, for if she were standing, she surely would have fell to her knees.

InuYasha, hovering above her, leaned down to kiss her. Sango's body chose that time to involuntarily thrust her hips forward, and she gasped as her sex was pressed firmly against his erection. InuYasha blushed, and a shiver ran down his back, and it was obvious to Sango that he had recieved some amount of pleasure from the encounter.

Sango tilted her head up as far as she could, and InuYasha took the hint, dropping down to kiss her softly. This time, on purpose, she slowly pushed her hips up until she made contact with him, and she slowly increased the pressure, until she couldn't take it anymore. InuYasha kissed her back hard, and gave a little hip thrust as well, making her whole body shiver in pleasure.

InuYasha wasn't aware of it until it had crept very close, but once it was a few feet away, InuYasha realized that it was near. He broke off his kiss with Sango and looked behind him. As he was used to happening, the demon flitted out of his vision. Sango looked up at him questioningly, and wondered why he had pulled away.

Did she do something wrong?

InuYasha wondered how many were around, and tried to ignore his erect member, and Sango's very hot body beneath him. He focused on the feeling that he knew would come when he was in touch with his senses, and slowly, they faded into existence. What he felt made his breath catch in his throat. There were thousands. And they were big. And scariest of all, they weren't afraid of the light.

Sango felt his grip loosen slightly on her arms, and she slipped her hands out, confused.

"What's wrong, InuYasha?" She asked, afraid she had hurt him, or upset him in some way. He looked at her, and quickly got off her.

"Can't you feel it?" He asked, grimly. "The demons are here. Lot's of them."

Sango snapped out of her trance, the one that included only her and InuYasha, and looked around. She saw nothing of course, but the feeling was coming to her. The demons were here.

She got up, and picked up her sword, drawing it.

"Let's kill them." She said softly.

InuYasha looked at her, grinning. "Wow, such a change from the Sango I knew just a few minutes ago." He said. Sango shrugged, and glanced around, using her poor human senses as well as she could.

"Nah, I'm just pissed off that we got inturrupted." She said. InuYasha blushed.

"Oh really?" He asked. "You mean that wasn't just your hormones, you actually wanted that?"

Sango was about to answer, when a demon flicked past her right side peripheral vision. She turned, and saw something slip into the tree line.

She looked at that spot for a second, InuYasha's question forgotten in her mind. She was about to turn around when she felt a pair of tiny fangs sink themselves into her back. She grimaced, and she reached behind herself with her sword, bringing the blade slashing around, inches from her neck and shoulder blades. A tiny hissing sound was heard, then the pain was gone. She brought her blade back in front of her, and saw that it was coated in thick red blood. She looked behind her, and saw only a shadowy body laying on the ground, blending in with the moving shadows cast by the wind blown tree branches above.

InuYasha saw that Sango had been slightly hurt, before killing the demon, and remembered the promise he had made to himself and her. He had promised that no more harm would come to her. Was he to fail that promise in his very first battle?

Just that thought alone got him really angry, and a feeling different from all others he had felt before started flowing through his body. It was sort of like anger, but it had a passiveness to it. It brought with it all the things he would feel when angry, the excitedness, the racing heart, the light-headedness, the clenching fists, the occaisional spikes in energy, and quickened muscle movement, but there was no more _anger _to it. He didn't know how to describe it. It was like having all the attributes of getting angry, without the clouded judgement and wanting to kill people. He had all of the benefits, and none of the problems. He grinned, and glanced at Sango, having never felt so good while being angry.

Sango glanced over at InuYasha, and he looked at her, grinning wildly. She noticed his lengthened fangs, sharp, long claws, dark silver streaks on the cheeks...wait, silver? She looked again, and saw that the purple marks had been replaced with silver streaks. They weren't jagged like the purple marks were, either, they were smooth and rounded, coming to a perfect point. They were in the same place as the purple marks, just different color, and shape. She let her gaze wander to his beautiful face, and once again noticed a silver quality to him. His eyes were a deep silver. It was a liquid silver that seemed to shimmer in the light. He stared at her for only a few seconds, but Sango couldn't help but get lost in his exotic looks for an eternity.

She blinked, and InuYasha was gone. She looked around, and saw that a red blur was working it's way around the forest, everywhere he went a loud hissing sound was heard as demons were systematically killed. But there were thousands. InuYasha was doing his best, but she still had to defend herself. She spun her sword around a few times, loosening up her wrists, before turning around, keeping her eyes open for attacking demons. She saw something move in the corner of her eye, and quickly slashed down at it, thinking she had missed. She was wrong.

She heard a hiss, and bright red blood splattered all over the ground. She smirked. This wasn't so hard. Then she felt a small pain in her shins. She looked down and saw nothing, but slashed at her foot anyway. Blood splashed, and was accompanied by another hiss. She waited until she was attacked again, thinking that they didn't do a whole lot of damage, when something made her turn around. She swiftly turned, and saw InuYasha tear by, followed by a splash of blood. It was what was waiting beyond him, at the edge of the forest that caught her eye though. Easily a hundred demons. All perfectly visible. She got a good hard first look at what had been tormenting her this whole time, and she grimaced. She was going to kill every single one of the bastards. She readied her sword, and the tiny four legged, razor sharp toothed, black haired cat like demons attacked. She watched as they all jumped out of the foilage, as a pack, snarling and hissing, and as they passed from the shadows of the trees into the light, a wave of white went over them, and they turned invisible in the mid morning light. Sango didn't care. She was done being helpless. She was a demon slayer, but for the last few weeks she had failed against every demon she had gone up against. It didn't matter that the only demons she had gone up against were InuYasha's demon side, and the invisible demons that were so quick and agile. She started slashing her sword at every movement she saw, and made sure to keep her sword moving around her body, not allowing any demon to get close to her. She brought the sword down in front of her, curved it down to her left side, reversed hand positions, brought it slicing up a few inches from her back, switched hand positions again, switched hands, and did the same, sword down her front, sword up behind her. She combined this with a type of fighting style she had learned at an early age, and all around her demons were hissing and spraying blood as they attacked, yet failed to break through her defenses. She grinned, as nothing made it through to attack her. Oh, how she longed for two swords, she could switch from the defensive, to the offensive. She slashed down hard in front of her, sensing something there,and blood splashed out from either side of the blade, soaking the already blood covered ground.

A few seconds later, as if reading her thoughts, InuYasha tore by, a red blur, and dropped his sword on the ground at her feet. Sango, now in the moment, muscles alive, working, but not yet tired, was using her current fighting style to perfection. And her movements were not only beautiful, but she performed quickly and efficiently against her invisible attackers.

Sango moved over to the sword, and caught movement out of the corner of her left eye. Excited, energized, and ready to react to anything, she quickly brought her right arm around, and threw her sword toward her left side, across her chest. The blade flew toward her target, and entered the body of the demon, just as her left hand grabbed the handle of the blade. She twisted, and brought her arm slashing back toward her front, and she was soaked in warm blood as she cut the demon in half. Now thoroughly in her element, she performed sword strokes that were often thought of as art forms by Westerners. She saw InuYasha's blade lying on the ground, and she stomped on the hilt, bouncing it up a few inches. She quickly hooked her foot under it, and kicked up, sending it spinning into the air. As it reached chest height, Sango brought her left arm across in a horizontal slash, from her left side to in front of her chest, and her blade clanged off the hilt of InuYasha's blade, sending it slicing out of it's sheath, and handle first into her hand. She quickly reversed the blade, drove it down into the earth, grabbed the still spinning scabbard out of the air, and threw it as hard as she could in front of her. It spun through the air, before impacting a demons head, splitting it open. The sheath clattered to the ground, and Sango's right hand sought out the sword. She swiftly drew the sword from the earth, and slashed to her right, resulting in multiple hisses.

Slowly, the handle of InuYasha's blade started to warm up, until it was a comfortable warmth in her hand. Slowly, she began to make out individual shapes of the attacking demons, then large details, then they faded into visibility, so she could see them as good as she could see InuYasha. She looked at InuYasha's sword, and a thought hit her.

'_Made to protect humans...'_

She regarded this newfound sight as one more weapon in her war, and set after the demons in a rage, her head light with the prospect of preying on the demons.

InuYasha glanced over at Sango to see how she was doing, as he casually sliced the head off a demon that was too slow for him, and what he saw made him stop. Sango was weilding his sword, but the sword was giving off a strange aura. It was glowing slightly, and InuYasha could see from the pattern of energy flowing around the sword, that the power was coming from Sango, and into the sword, not the other way around.

With her gift of sight, Sango was a menace. No longer constrained to defense, she happily pursued the demons, killing them whenever they came too close to her sword, or when they weren't fast enough to escape her slashes. A few more minutes went by, and the couple thousand demons that had been intent on attacking were either dead or retreating. The fight was over. For now.

Sango sighed, and sat down. She was running out of energy, and for some reason she was all sticky. She looked down at herself, and noticed that her black slayer suit was tinged a dark red. It was all blood. She felt her stomach twist, as she realized that it was on her hands, her neck, her face, and probably in her hair too. She excused herself, and hurried to the hot spring, stepping over now visible dead demons bodies. Sickened as she was, covered in blood, she didn't stop to wonder why the demons were visible. After all, she had given InuYasha his sword back.

InuYasha felt his anger slowly fade away, and he sighed. His hands were bloody, and it was drying fast, but he didn't dare go to the hot springs with Sango there. If Sango was here, she would have noticed that his eyes faded from their liquid silver to their regular gold color. He laid back, and pulled up his sleeves gingerly with his claws, to keep blood from getting on his haori.

"Why the hell do they keep attacking, and why are they getting stronger, and more numerous?" He asked softly, to no one in particular. He didn't expect a response, but he was graced with one anyway.

"They are attacking, InuYasha, because they know."

InuYasha sat up quickly, and looked around. A few seconds later, a woman emerged from the depths of the forest, to stop in front of InuYasha. She had long flowing black hair, and violet eyes. She was dressed in priestess' robes, and her eyes were alive with humor. She looked like she knew all the mysteries of the universe, and had a calm, motherly feeling to her.

InuYasha disregarded the woman, and questioned her.

"They know what?" He asked loudly.

"They know that only humans with complete souls can live here on earth." The beautiful woman said.

InuYasha glared at her.

"And what does this have to do with Sango?" He asked. The woman smiled softly.

"Because of the life she has lived, losing her parents, tricked by Naraku, having her brother kidnapped, and his memories erased, harboring feelings for someone special to her, having her life threatened so many times, seeing the pain and torture of someone she likes, it's all eating away at her soul. She can't take anymore." The woman said softly. "Her soul is eroding, and the demons are a representation of that. The more demons come, the stronger they are, the less soul she has, and the more determined they are to rid her of her life."

InuYasha flexed his claws.

"I'll kill every single demon bastard that comes near her!" He growled. The woman smiled again, sadly.

"No matter what you do, InuYasha, even if you kill them all, she will still die. Just because your denying her a peaceful death at the hands of the demons doesn't mean that once her soul is completely gone, she will continue to live. She will die, whether you kill the demons or not."

_She will die, whether you kill the demons or not..._

_Sango will die._

InuYasha realized just how helpless he was, and he felt a strange sensation in his eyes. Not realizing that tears were sliding down his cheeks, he raised his eyes to the woman.

"Is there any way to save her?" He asked, his voice full of hope, yet laden with fear, in case the answer was one he would not like.

"There is but one." The woman said.

A/N Please review, I really want dem reviewz, ya know?


	16. Battles Finished?

Pure Anger 16.

InuYasha looked up at the mysterious beautiful woman in front of him, and asked her the loaded question.

"How do I save her?"

The woman smiled down at him, her eyes shining brightly. "The answer lies within you, InuYasha, only you can figure it out." She said.

InuYasha snorted. "Cut the B.S. I know you can tell me, you already know the answer, you just like to watch me squirm and run around trying to find some damn magic potion or something, right?" He asked. The woman smiled sadly, always the sad smile.

"InuYasha, I can tell you few things, but the things I can tell you are, it's not some type of potion, and it doesn't require you to go very far from where you sit." She said. "The second thing I can tell you is this. The answer cannot be given to you, because it is a choice that must be made by you. If I tell you, and you want to save the girl, you will do it. Not because you want to, but because it will save the girl. It has to come to you, you need to feel it, and when you do, you will know how to save your girl." She said. With that, she turned around, and slowly walked back into the forest, dissappearing among the many trees. InuYasha got up, and flexed his claws.

"I'll make the bitch tell me how to do it." He said, sniffing the air to track her scent. He stopped dead when he realized that she had no scent.

'Dead...or a figment of my imagination?' He thought, staring down at his sharp claws. He looked up, and saw no robes fluttering in and out of the trees. He glanced back down at his hands, and once more he had a particular thought.

_Sango will die._

He slowly curled his hands into fists, and his claws dug into his skin, making him bleed. He winced at the mild pain, and decided that it was safe to assume that the girl was real. And her words were real.

InuYasha stood, and walked toward the hot spring, intent on checking the status of Sango's health, regardless of if she was naked or not. He was halfway through the forest, deep in his thoughts, when he collided with Sango, as she was coming back from her bath. He caught her, keeping her from falling, and apologized. She shook her head, and smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it InuYasha." She said, holding onto his arm. She let her hand slide down his arm to his hand, and she gripped it tightly.

"You look so worried, InuYasha," She said. "Is something wrong?"

InuYasha pulled her hand, leading her back into the clearing.

"Sango, I-" He stopped as he realized what he was going to say and how stupid it was going to sound. He sat down, and Sango, now thoroughly worried about InuYasha, sat down beside him, looking at him intently.

"What's wrong, InuYasha?"

InuYasha looked her in the eye, and decided to just come out with it.

"I know what those demons are." He said. Sango blinked, and wondered why this was troubling him.

"That's great InuYasha, doesn't that mean we can kill them easier?"

InuYasha shook his head.

"No, Sango, those demons are..." He trailed off. He wondered if he should even tell her, he had no idea what it would do to her soul. He took a deep breath as she continued to examine him with curiosity.

"Sango, those demons represent your soul, and as the demons grow more numerous and more powerful, that means that more of your soul is missing, and that a human can't live without their soul, and for some reason your soul is dissappearing and thats why the demons are after you." He blurted out in a rush.

Sango stared at him.

"Say what?"

InuYasha took a deep breath, and slowed his racing heart. He explained everything in as much detail as he could, describing the woman and what she said.

At the end of it, Sango was confused, but understood. She wondered what the woman was meaning when she said that there was only one way for her to get her soul back, so she could live.

"What do you think she means?"

InuYasha shook his head. "I been thinking about it, but I have no clue." He said. "But we better find out soon, or else..."

Days passed, and they slowly forgot about it, their minds wandering to it every so often, when they were idle, to be forgotten immediately as they were called back to reality. InuYasha and Sango had returned to the village, and now were given a new task, one that unsettled them both greatly.

They now had to decide what to do with their lives.

InuYasha sat on Kaede's floor, Sango sitting across from him. He didn't want to admit it, but he was afraid of leaving, now that everything was settling. His anger was no longer an issue, he had been forgiven by Sango, she no longer had to follow him around, trying to decide whether to kill him or not. They could, in effect, go back to living their separate lives, never contacting each other ever again. But there was only one small problem with that plan. Neither of them wanted to go back to the life they had before, Sango slaying demons in exchange for housing and food, and InuYasha to his solitary life with only his thoughts and memories for company. They each also had another reason for not wanting to part ways. And, although neither of them knew that the other felt the same way, they both didn't want to separate because of the feelings that they had developed for each other.

'Dammit! How do I stall?' Sango thought, staring at the floor. 'How do I keep coming up with excuses to be with him now that there is no need? Our journey together is finished...isn't it?'

She shook her head, and decided that she didn't care if the journey was over, no one was going to make her leave InuYasha's side. She looked up and stared at the silver haired hanyou in front of her, also deep in thought.

'I guess this is the end.' He thought sadly. 'She'll take off now, in search of whatever it is she's looking for.' He sighed. 'She will probably leave to go search for Kohaku.'

He looked up, and his gaze found Sango staring at him. He blushed at the same time she did, but he didn't look away. Neither did she.

"It's finally over." He breathed. Sango nodded. It had been a strange trip, and the enemy was a lot closer to home than she was willing to fight, but then again, she reasoned that she wasn't fighting InuYasha, she was merely fighting his demon side. And even then, she hadn't really fought a lot. Then she realized that she was thinking about physically fighting. It wasn't that that InuYasha was talking about. She had fought him numerous times intellectually, with the poison, out smarting him, and emotionally, as she tried to keep herself from liking him. She had failed on that one, but she was now glad she did. She really liked InuYasha, and often wondered how he felt about her. She often thought about what could have been, if things had been different, or how they should be, if she had only admitted to him that she liked him back then. She was afraid of his demon side, sure, but now that he was free of it and it's infinite anger, she could start to settle down with him, maybe raise a family. She blushed lightly at this thought.

InuYasha sighed, and wondered how to tell this beautiful demon slayer that he liked her. His only regret was that he hadn't told her earlier, and if he said it now it would seem fake, and would look like a desperate ploy to keep her around now that she could freely leave. He didn't want her to think that, so he kept his mouth shut. He merely stared at her, trying to sort out all his emotions.

"That's a mighty intense staring contest ye two are having." Kaede said, laughter in her voice. Sango looked away from InuYasha, and at Kaede, who leaned against the wall. She said nothing. If she tried to prove the old woman wrong, then it would make her guilty. Guilty of what, she was unsure. Staring wasn't a bad thing.

"How are you, Kaede?" She asked, trying to take her mind off her problems.

Kaede shrugged, moving from the wall next to the door, to the floor beside InuYasha and Sango.

"Old." She said humorously. She looked at InuYasha. "So ye are now free of the demons that plague you, correct?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, no way am I ever going to get that angry again." He declared.

Kaede looked to Sango.

"You, now bearing a clean conscience, are no longer tied to InuYasha, are ye?"

Sango shook her head, and wished hearing that didn't hurt so much.

Kaede turned back to InuYasha.

"What will ye do now, InuYasha?" She asked.

InuYasha sighed. "I'm tired." He said simply. "I'm going to stay here for a few more days. Relax. Rest."

Kaede turned to Sango.

Sango quickly spoke up before the priestess could ask.

"I'm tired too, I think I will stay here too, for about a week." She said. Then she got curious. "Why all the sudden interest, Kaede?" She asked.

Kaede shrugged again. "Just need to know who's staying so I can provide the approriate amount of food and nessecities." She said. Then she rose stiffly.

"Well, I have some business to attend to, so ye children play safe and don't hurt yourselves." She said, wobbling out of the door.

Inside, Sango was jumping for joy. Not only was she allowed to stay here to recover and rest, she was also staying with InuYasha. She knew that she would have to make a move soon. She would have earlier, but it was so hard to notice if he held any interest in her or not.She didn't want to ruin the tentative friendship she had with him. But now, their bond seemed stronger, and she was going to make her move. InuYasha would be hers. She wanted him badly. She liked him so much.

InuYasha began to take off his outer haori, and Sango silently wished that he would take off the white one also. He didn't. She sighed. Oh well, there was always next time.

"I'm going to sleep early tonight Sango." He said."Wake me if there's any trouble."

Sango doubted there would be trouble. After all, she planned on watching him sleep until she got tired, then crawling up beside him. It was perfect. A chill ran down her back, and she realized that she couldn't wait to make InuYasha hers.

They didn't know it yet, but that peaceful night they were both looking forward to was never going to happen. Gathering rapidly on the edge of the forest, thousands of demons waited for nightfall, the best time to attack a broken soul...

A/N okay, theres a small chapter that doesn't seem important, but it sets up a lot of things that come later. Also, I made a reference to InuYasha 'liking Sango a bit more than normal,' In chapter 13, Demons Retribution. If you can find this reference that seems to show that InuYasha loves her, then you are very well knowledged when it comes to InuYasha trivia, and you also pay good attention to the insignificant details. Cookies and praise go out to the first reviewer to quote the line that shows InuYasha loves Sango. It's a fun thing to look for while waiting for updates, anyway, and i intentionally put it in there. Not for this purpose, but as a main point to that chapter, besides killing his inner demon. It's not very noticable, so if you find it, your amazing. Good luck!


	17. Denied Death, and Love Proclaimed

Pure Anger 17.

InuYasha was deep asleep when Sango started shaking him, trembling in fear.

"InuYasha!" She said loudly, the fear in her voice. InuYasha was immediately awake at the sound of her voice, and the feel of her touch.

"What's wrong Sango?" He asked. Sango's fear filled eyes told him everything, but she explained anyway.

"The demons." She said. "They're here, and there's thousands of them."  
InuYasha immediately stood up, grabbing his sword. He drew it half way, then angrily slid it back into it's case. He thrust it to Sango, with a harsh command.

"Dual-weild, protect yourself."

Sango nodded, and drew the sword, holding it in her right hand. She awkwardly drew hers, for her sheath was on her left side, and her left hand was the only one free, but once she did, she spun both swords around a few times, loosening her wrists. The blades flashed in the firelight, reflecting shiny arcs of light on the cabin walls. She walked slowly out of the cabin, InuYasha preceding her. Once outside, InuYasha looked around, growled, and took off. Sango was once again left to kill any demons that escaped InuYasha's grasp.

As the first demons faded into sight, the sword in her right hand started to warm up, casting off slightly angry vibes. If vibes could be angry. Sango smirked at that, before turning back to the task at hand.

Sango charged forward, swords slashing at anything that came near her. The demons were visible to her now, and she cut them down with a vengeance. She realized that the demons seemed a lot stronger now, and every so often a demon would sneak past her defenses to slash her deeply with it's claws, whether it be on the arm, the back, or the stomach.

A demon leapt right at her, and she brought her sword around, slashing horizontally down. The demon was sliced in half, but another demon reared up out of the carnage, obviously right behind that demon. Unable to react, Sango took a step back as the demon found itself inside her safety zone. The swords weren't between her and the demon anymore, the demon was between her and her swords.

She grunted in surprise as the demon slammed it's claws into her chest, cutting her slightly. She was pushed back, and fell down into the dirt, the demon on top of her. Her swords useless, she dropped them and tried to push the demon off her, but it snarled and snapped at her vulnerable hands. She was defenseless. The demon lunged down, jaws open wide, ready to bite into Sango's neck. Sango winced, closed her eyes, and prepared for the pain.

It didn't come. She opened her eyes as the demon was jerked off her by InuYasha, his liquid silver eyes glowing brightly. He picked the demon up from around the throat, and reared back his free hand. Sango got up, swords in her hands, just as InuYasha delivered the killing blow, sending his claws through the demons face. InuYasha threw the body away, as it spewed blood all over the place, and took off again, searching for more demons.

Sango silently thanked him, before raising her swords up in front of her again.

Another demon attacked, and she swiftly sliced it in half, not wanting InuYasha to have to come to her rescue again.

InuYasha was slaying another group of demons when it happened. Heard a feral growl, and he looked over just in time to see a demon leap at Sango's unprotected back, biting deep into her neck. Sango screamed, and InuYasha leapt forward, knowing he was too late. Sango fell into InuYasha's arms, but there was nothing that could be done about the demons that were slowly dissappearing into the woods.

"Sango, Sango!" He said fearfully. When he was not answered, he started getting more scared. "Sango God dammit, wake up!"

Nothing. The wound from the back of her neck was bleeding slightly, not enough to worry him about blood loss, but she might be paralysed. He swallowed. Or worse.

He started carrying her toward Kaede's, hoping that the priestess was in her cabin.

"Kaede!" InuYasha yelled out, fear evident in his voice. Kaede looked up, and saw Sango in his arms.

"What happened now, InuYasha?" She asked. "And how did she get hurt in the middle of the night?"

InuYasha glared at her. "Help her!"

Kaede started cutting away the collar of the demon slayer suit, and InuYasha, seeing that she was doing something, calmed down enough to talk about it.

He told her all about the demons that had been attacking, and of the strange woman that had appeared, and what she had said. Kaede nodded slowly at the end of his tale.

"If this is true, InuYasha, then Sango is comatose." She said, sealing up the second bite hole in her neck.

"I know what has to be done, but like the woman said, I cannot tell you or else it won't happen." She said. "It has to come from you." Kaede got up, and indicated Sango laying now on her back.

"I will give you two a bit of privacy." She said. Then she left.

InuYasha sat beside the unconscious girl, and he stared at her. He knew that the demons had plagued her long before he had come along, but he still couldn't help but blame himself. He scooted a bit closer, and slowly rubbed his hand along her cheek. Her eyes were closed, and her dark brown hair was strewn all about her.To have it in a pony tail while lying down would have been uncomfortable to her, and Kaede had thoughtfully removed it. InuYasha pushed some rebel pieces of hair out of her face, and he rubbed his hand from her forehead to the back of her head, pushing her hair back.

"Sango..." He said softly. "I'm so sorry, I tried to protect you, and I failed." He said. "I never meant for that to happen, I'm sorry."

He shifted slightly as his foot became numb, but never left her side. She was in this situation because of him, and the least he could do was stay by her side until it was over.

The seconds faded into minutes, and the minutes into hours. Before InuYasha knew it, he had been beside Sango until the next morning, and all through the day. It was almost night again, and he was tired. He had talked. Talked about anything that entered his mind, determined to keep his sanity, and in the back of his mind, he hoped that Sango could hear him.

Finally, exhaustion captured him.

"Sango, I'm going to go to sleep now, but I'll be right beside you, I'm never going to leave your side, until you get better." He said. He laid down beside her, and slowly took her hand, slipping his fingers between hers. He closed his eyes, and hoped that Sango would be awake by the time he awoke.

She wasn't. InuYasha awoke, and his first thoughts were about Sango. He looked over, and was dismayed to find that Sango hadn't moved from her position from the night before. InuYasha felt an incredible sadness welling up inside of him, and as he stared at the girl he was unable to help, the tears began to fall. He put his head on her stomach, still gripping her hand tightly, and he let the tears fall.

_Sango was aware of everything. She had most of her senses. She obviously couldn't see or move, but she could hear InuYasha talking to her. She listened to him talk about himself, what he used to do when he was alone, how he used to feel about being alone, and how he felt about it now._

_Everything he said comforted her. He was there to help her, he was going to stay with her until she woke up. But she didn't know when she would wake up. Suddenly, InuYasha's words brought her back from her thoughts._

_"Sango, I'm going to go to sleep now, but I'll be right beside you, I'm never going to leave your side, until you get better.." He said. Sango felt her heartbeat increase. Then she realized that he meant what he said, as she felt him take her hand, and grip it tightly. Suddenly, she felt a presence to her right, and she guessed that InuYasha was laying down beside her. A few minutes later, and InuYasha was silent. He was sleeping. She guessed she had better get to sleep too, and she stopped thinking of everything, wondering if it was possible to go to sleep in the state she was in. She realized it was possible to go to sleep, and as she slowly fell asleep, she was jerked awake by a single thought. Kaede had said she was in a coma, so if she went to sleep, would she ever be able to come into consciousness again?_

_She tried to stay awake as long as possible, but eventually exhaustion claimed her too, and she fell into a deep 'sleep.'_

_When she awoke, she realized that whatever had happened to her, had really changed her. Supposedly, she was losing her soul, so if she was, she was losing her human senses. She had lost her sense of touch, for she couldn't feel InuYasha near her anymore, but she could hear. And InuYasha was crying. With the loss of her human abilities, she was gaining otherworldly abilities, as her soul prepared to leave it's body, and ascend to the heavens above. She could now sense feelings._

_InuYasha was crying, and wave after wave of sorrow and grief rolled off his body. At first, she was surprised by the new sense, but she quickly adapted. Her rational thought was suffering too. Her soul was leaving her body, and she knew that meant she was dying. That meant she couldn't be with InuYasha, and share in his laughter, his pain, his joy, his LIFE. It should have made her incredibly sad, but she felt herself giving off calm vibes. She would always be able to watch over him from where ever she was headed. She could always smile down upon the boy she liked from the heavens and wish for his good fortune. Then another thought hit her. She didn't want to watch from the heavens as this boy lost another important person, and was once again reduced to a lonely despairing life. She wanted to stay with him, hold his hand when things got too tough, wanted to be the one to feel his kisses. Most of all, she wanted this boy to love her like she loved him. She felt herself crying, and wasn't sure if it was her incomplete soul greiving, or her body. Then she realized it was both. Her soul had returned to her body, and lost her otherworldly senses, but for how long, she didn't know._

InuYasha looked up as a peculiar scent reached his nose. He looked at Sango as a few tears leaked out of the corners of her closed eyes.

InuYasha reached up and wiped away the tear that coursed down her temple, due to gravity. He wiped the other one away, and leaned down, kissing her.

It surprised even him. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that Sango was going to leave him, and he didn't want her to. He kissed her for a few seconds, and pulled away when she didn't respond. He sighed, and continued to hold her hand. He would never leave her side

_Sango felt someone touch her face, and she knew it was InuYasha. She got so much pleasure from the feeling, knowing that InuYasha was still there, still caring for her._

_Suddenly she felt her soul being forcefully jerked from her body. She felt a twinge of fear, and wondered how she could keep in her body longer. She just wanted a few more minutes with InuYasha before she had to go._

_Nevertheless, she felt her ties with her body growing weaker, and her human senses started to fade. As her otherworldly senses kicked in, she realized that InuYasha was scared. His fear was growing and he was becoming frantic._

InuYasha felt Sango's heartbeat slowing, and he started to get scared. She's dying! his mind screamed at him. There was nothing he could do. He sat up and stared at her, wondering what to do. Her pulse was slowing, and her chest wasn't moving as fast. His breathing quickened.

"No, Sango, please Sango, stay with me, don't leave me Sango!" He said, clutching her hand. "Oh my God, Sango, please don't die!" InuYasha squeezed his eyes closed, and he could not believe that the second person he had let himself have feelings for was dying before him. He briefly wondered what he thought of Sango, and the words were out of his mouth before he could think.

"Sango, I love you, please don't leave me!"

He stopped. Then, with a shock, he realized it was true. He had allowed himself to fall in love with the demon slayer, and now she was dying. He leaned over her, and willed her to wake up. She didn't. InuYasha waited a few minutes to make sure she didn't wake up, and he was about to break down, when he realized that she was breathing again. He hovered over her, and stared down at her.

"Sango, never do that to me again, I was so scared." He said softly, stroking her cheek. "Please wake up, please wake up and make everything be okay."

_Sango had accepted it. She loved InuYasha, and now she was dying. She was leaving him forever. Her soul was leaving her body, and she would never see him again, for a long long time. Or the possibility was that there was no life after death, and she would never see him again. She had no idea what was happening now. But still her heart ached._

_"No, Sango, please Sango, stay with me, don't leave me Sango!"_

_InuYasha's voice surprised her. She heard the pain and fear in his voice, and her heart broke. She was going to die now, and leave her love all alone. InuYasha was always being left behind, all alone, and now there was nothing she could do. Despite her calm, tranquil state, she still couldn't help but experience pain. She just realized that she loved InuYasha, and now she was being taken away from him. As her feelings faded, she realized that she was slipping away from her body, her connection to the earth and InuYasha. Soon, she wouldn't be able to hear his voice, and she would be taken away to experience one of two things. Her eternal happiness as a reward for living her life as best she could, or her ultimate hell, pain, misery, and suffering. One of the two scenarios would be hers, and would last forever. She only hoped that where ever she was headed, InuYasha was headed also._

_She could hear him talking, but couldn't make out the words. Her broken soul was being claimed by the afterlife, and it was the price she was paying. For all the things she had suffered, her soul had taken it all, until it started to fail, to break apart under the stress. Now her incomplete soul was being taken back, hopefully, to a place where she could heal from all the pain she had suffered in her mortal life. She hoped that she would be granted immortality and happiness where ever she was going._

_She eventually appeared in front of...her village?_

_Just then, Miroku came out of the gates of her village, and started walking over. She gasped. _

_"Miroku?" She asked, hurrying over to him. She opened her arms, and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, and she pulled away, looking deep into his eyes. _

_"What are you doing at my old village?" She asked. He smiled, and looked around him. "This is where you come when you die, Sango." He said. "To you, this place appears to be your village, but to me, it is something else entirely." He said, walking toward the village gates with her._

_"Kagome is here also." He said. Sango felt her heart skip a beat. "Kagome?" She asked, almost afraid that Miroku was tricking her. Sure enough, Kagome appeared at the gates, and hugged the older girl._

_"Hey Sango, how are you?" She asked. Sango could only stare. "I can't believe I'm seeing you guys." She said, standing just outside the gates. Miroku laughed._

_"Yes, we are here, and we are real." He said. "And I can prove it."_

_He sidled over to her, and ran his hand over her bum. Sango squealed, and slapped him. He grinned, and clutched his cheek. "You know that if you were imagining this, I wouldn't have done that." He said. Sango raised an eyebrow at him._

_"Oh, really?" She asked. Miroku nodded sagely. "Yes, for if I were in your imagination, I would probably do something like this..." He said, standing in front of her. He put his hands around her waist, and pulled her a bit closer. He then leaned in, and kissed her on the cheek. _

_"Your so beautiful, Sango." He said, in a deeper voice than he really had._

_Sango blushed. "That wouldn't be in my imagination!" She exclaimed, pushing him away. Miroku shrugged. "Meh, I tried." He said. Kagome giggled._

_"How was InuYasha, before you...you know, died?" She asked softly._

_Sango smiled gently at the younger girl._

_"He was...fine." She lied. Kagome smiled, relieved. "That's good." She said._

_"Don't you hate him for what he did?" Sango asked. Kagome shrugged. "No, he just let his feelings get carried away, it was an accident." She said. "I can forgive him for that."_

_Sango nodded._

_"I'm hoping to see him soon." Kagome said. Then she quickly corrected herself. "Not that I hope he dies soon, or anything, but you know, I miss him." She said._

_Sango understood. "Yeah..." She said softly. "I do too."_

_Suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt an intense tugging at her heart. It was painful, and she dropped to her knees, clutching her chest._

_Miroku and Kagome both bent down to help her, but then a voice reached Sango's ears, very loud, and distorted to the point of sounding demonic._

_"Sango, I love you, please don't leave me!"_

_Sango felt the pain in her heart lessen, and she stood up slowly, looking to Kagome to see how she was taking it. It was obviously InuYasha's voice, saying that he loved Sango. But Kagome appeared to not have heard it._

_Sango looked around, and wondered what was going on. The pain in her chest was slowly increasing, and she looked for a safe haven from it. She looked up, and saw her village._

_"The village, I gotta get in there!" She thought, taking a step toward the gates._

_Miroku was judging her. She was here, obviously dead in the real world, or close to. Her soul was strange, almost like it was missing part. It wasn't a complete soul. So that's why she had died. She was missing part of her soul. Suddenly, Sango dropped to her knees, and he was snapped out of his reverie. He rused over, and checked to see if she was okay. When she stood, he was very surprised. _

_Her soul was now complete, and shining brightly. He smiled. She could go home now._

_He watched her take a step toward the gate, and he regretted what he had to do. As much as he wanted to let her in so she could keep him company along with Kagome, she had unfinished business. He held out his arm, and stopped her from entering._

_"I'm sorry, Sango," He said, the gates starting to close. "But it's not your time yet." He said. "Your no longer missing part of your soul, you can go on living." He said. "Your journey is almost over."_

_Sango looked at him, alarmed. _

_"What do you mean?" She asked. "Let me in!" _

_Miroku felt sadness engulfing his body._

_"Sango, I want to, but I can't yet, your not allowed." He said. The gates were almost closed, and Kagome had slipped through. He jumped through, right as they clanged closed, and he could see Sango on the other side, now crying heavily._

_"Miroku!" She cried. "Miroku, let me in!" She said. "I'm done! I want to rest, I want to be with you and Kagome!" She said. Miroku watched her be pulled away, for she no longer belonged in the world of the dead. She was dissappearing from vision, but not from his thoughts, memories, and prayers._

_"Come on, Kagome." He said, turning away from the gate. "Let's go pray for her. She will need it."_

_Kagome nodded, and followed him back inside._

Sango awoke screaming, and felt the tears running down her face. She realized that she was alive, and calmed down. Then she felt fear spring up again.

"InuYasha?" She called out fearfully, thinking he had abandoned her.

"Right here." He said, rushing over to her side. He had been behind her, tending to the fire. Sango looked up at InuYasha, and she started to calm down again. She found comfort in his deep golden eyes, and she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

InuYasha hugged her back just as tightly, glad she was awake. It had taken three days for her to awaken after she had almost died, and after that he had kept a careful eye on her.

"I'm so glad your okay." He said, closing his eyes, and breathing in her scent. Sango nodded, and started trembling. InuYasha tried to comfort her, and he rubbed her back. Then she started crying.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly. Sango shook her head.

"I thought I was dead for sure." She said. "I thought I was going to lose you and never see you again, and that I would have to wait so long to see you again, and it made me so sad because I realized that I loved you, and..." She trailed off as she realized what she said.

InuYasha's ear flicked, and he knew he didn't hear wrong.

"D-do you mean that?" He asked, his breath catching in his throat.

Sango nodded again, and pulled away, looking him in the eyes.

"I love you, InuYasha." She said, her voice strong despite the tears that were on her face. InuYasha searched her eyes for any sign of a lie, but found none. And he knew he would find none.

"I love you too, Sango." He breathed, and hugged her tightly again. "I'm so glad your okay."

Sango nodded, and pulled away, wiping her tears away.

"I saw them." She said softly. InuYasha knew who she was talking about, because when she was waking up, she was screaming Miroku's name.

"How are they?" He asked. Sango sighed, and smiled.

"They're content." She said. "They lived the best lives they could with the short time on earth they had, and they got their rewards. Eternal peace and happiness, they haven't a care in the world." She said sadly. "Even though I just saw them, and talked to them, I miss them already."

InuYasha smiled, and hugged her tightly.

"I do too, sometimes." He said truthfully. Sango pulled away, and smiled at her hanyou.

She stroked his cheek, and leaned down, kissing him on the lips. InuYasha moaned softly, closed his eyes, and returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"Never leave me again." He said, his voice in her ear. She shook her head. "I won't InuYasha." She said. "I'm staying with you until the end."

InuYasha growled happily. "That's exactly what I want." He said, his happiness and contentment obvious in his voice.

Sango chuckled, and hugged him tighter.

"Well, it was a long road, but we're finished, aren't we?" Sango asked.

InuYasha hated to be a mood breaker, but he really didn't know, and he wasn't going to lie.

"I don't know Sango." He said softly. "Let's hope so."

They both got up, and walked out of the hut, to greet the rising sun, both taking a new view on the world they lived in, and the people they knew. Their time on earth was short, and they were intent on making the best of it, so when they got to see Miroku and Kagome, they would have some stories to tell. Sango smiled, and gazed at the red sky, streaked through with yellow and purple, the feiry orange sun low on the horizon, blazing the morning clouds with intense color, transforming them from their usual white into a montage of yellows, reds, and oranges.

Sango turned her eyes from the sky, to look upon her hanyou. Feeling her gaze, he looked down at her, and smiled happily. He now had everything he had ever wanted.

Sango blushed, and gave in to her desires, gently grabbing InuYasha's long sideburns, and pulling him down into a kiss, quickly expanding it into a gentle open mouthed kiss, trying to show him the love she had for him. When the kiss was over, she didn't think she had succeeded, but she didn't care. She had her whole life to show InuYasha how much he meant to her. Turning back to the sun, she slipped her hand into his, and held on tightly, not ever wanting to let go.

A/N Please review, and despite what it sounds like, it is not the end of the fic. Well, it technically could be called the end, but there are a few other things i want to take care of, and will do so in the form of a couple other chapters/sequel/epilogue. Thanks for reading all the way through, advice, and comments are appreciated.


	18. Sango's Doubts

Pure Anger: Extended. Chapter 18.

InuYasha awoke slowly. He slowly came into awareness, and the first thing he was aware of was that Sango was not beside him. This did not bother him, for as his other senses awoke, he could hear her shuffling around, and smell the delicious scent of meat being cooked. He opened his eyes, raising an arm to shield himself from the relative brightness of the cabin, compared to his sleep. He groaned, and sat up, his stomach growling loudly at the scent that hung in the air. He folded his legs into a comfortable position, and slammed his fists on the floor, making Sango turn to him, surprised that he was awake.

"Hurry up and feed me, bitch!" He exclaimed, earing a shocked look from Sango.

"Why would you call me that?" She asked, partway stunned, and partly confused. Did InuYasha not remember how she had waken up screaming last night, then proceeded to confess her love to him? Why was he treating her so differently now?

InuYasha blinked, then nodded his understanding.

"Oh. Don't be offended Sango, because when it comes to dogs, bitch means something else." He said. Sango, not entirely sure what he was going on about, put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" She asked, slightly angry. "Are you sure that none of those demons got you?"

InuYasha nodded, and shook his head. "Yeah I'm sure, but forget about it." He said, lowering his head. Sango didn't want to.

"Why did you call me a bitch?" She asked. InuYasha shrugged. "Think about it Sango." He said. "I really don't want to say it out loud."

Three minutes and one deep blush later, Sango had the meaning. She said nothing, and handed InuYasha his cooked rabbit meat. Time passed silently, both lost deep in their thoughts.

InuYasha was wondering how he was going to stay occupied today, for there were no demons left, Sango had been saved, he wasn't going to transform, and nothing exciting was going down. It was going to be pretty boring now, unless...He glanced at Sango, and grinned. He knew of a few extra activites that they could be doing to pass the time...

Sango was thinking of what InuYasha had said. He had called her a bitch. She blushed slightly. Did he really want to do that with her?

She glanced up at him, and made sure that he didn't notice. His cute face was framed by his long silver hair, and his deep golden eyes radiated strength and conviction. a while ago they would have been tainted with anger, but now all that anger was gone, and he was just passive. He still got mad sometimes, but never angry to the point of killing someone. That anger had been tamed.

Sango smiled, and leaned forward, on her hands and knees. Slowly she made her way over to InuYasha, and crawled in front of him. He caught her out of the corner of his eye, and looked up at her in surprise, wondering what she was doing.

"S-Sango?" He asked, before she got really close to his face, and his brain shut down.

"So, InuYasha." She asked softly. "Do you consider me to be bitch material?"

InuYasha blinked, and said nothing. Sango chuckled, and sat up, leaning back on her haunches. She stroked InuYasha's cheek, and slipped her hand down his chest, to his lap, resting her hand on his pants, teasing him.

"Eh?'" She asked, applying a bit of pressure to his pants, coming gently into contact with something.

"Can I be your bitch, InuYasha?" She asked, her voice low, and seductive.

InuYasha started to get nervous at her implications, and the only intelligent sound he could utter was...

"Uh..."

Sango smirked at his response. She slid a bit closer, and moved her hand around a bit, making him jump.

"What kind of things do you imagine when your alone, InuYasha?" She asked, kissing his throat.

"Making passionate love to me..." She nipped him on the throat, and slid his haori out of the way, revealing his collar bone. "Or fucking me as hard as you can, like a wild animal?"

InuYasha shivered at both the sound of her sexy voice, and the thoughts she was placing in his head. He closed his eyes, and gasped as her lips found the sensitive skin near his collar bone. He moaned softly when she started sucking there, occaisionally nipping at his skin.

He was about to lose himself in her touch when the door flap was pushed aside, and Kaede walked in, clearing her throat and motioning for them to break it up.

Sango reluctantly took her hand out of his lap, and disconnected her lips from his throat, leaning back and trying to control her raging hormones. She now refused to look InuYasha in the eye, and busied herself with helping Kaede clean the place up.

InuYasha sighed, and fell back on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Too late he realized that he was still a bit turned on, and that it was a bit obvious. He quickly sat up, glad that Sango and Kaede's backs were both to him. He sighed again, louder this time. He needed to get out of here.

He exited the cabin, refusing to acknowledge Sango's questioning glance, and walked toward the exit of the village, intent on spending most of, if not all of, today by himself. He was getting way to close to Sango, and if it weren't for Kaede, they would probably be doing something they'd both regret later.

He continued walking, deep in his thoughts, until he found himself here.

He stared.

The graves were still erect, the dirt was now covered in grass. He knelt in front of Kagome's grave and clasped his hands together, forming the rough beginnings of a prayer.

After a few minutes, he stood, wondering. Sango had forgiven him for their deaths, but did he forgive himself?

He shook his head. He didn't know. It occured to him again. Kagome and Miroku were dead. It wasn't just that they were gone away somewhere, and they would never see them again. It was deeper than that. It was the realization that Kagome and Miroku didn't have the things he did. They would never grow up, find love, have a family, or do any of the things they wanted. He had taken away the most important things they had, and he couldn't forgive himself for that. He knew that Kagome and Miroku probably didn't. He knew he sure wouldn't. He reflected on everything he had. A life, a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl that loved him, he loved that girl back, he had hope, he had a future.

He looked down at the graves, and felt sadness engulf him. They had none of what he had, and it was his fault, no matter how you look at it. They were denied the chance to have everything, because of him.

InuYasha felt the tears coming. He sniffed softly, and held them back. He was turning into such a softie lately, and he wouldn't stand for it. He held back the tears, and stayed by the graves for a few minutes longer. It further dawned on him how permanent this was.

Forever. They were dead forever. They only got one life, and had barely lived fifteen or sixteen years of it before being killed. Life was the biggest thing you could have, and when your down, and there's nothing left for you, you can think, you are lucky to have your life. Kagome and Miroku didn't have their lives anymore, and taking that away from them was not his right.

This was their final resting place, a hole in the ground. Because of him. Consciousness lost in an instant, never to be regained. You couldn't wake up from it.

Despite his attempts, he couldn't keep the tears at bay. He gave in, and let them fall silently as he paid his respects to his fallen friends. For that's what they were, and always would be. They had travelled with him, stayed with him, disregarded his hanyou appearance, and treated him with kindness. He had repaid them by taking their lives. A sickeningly selfish and disgusting thing to do, but it had been done and couldn't be undone. They had stayed with him until the very end, and they deserved his respect, for they were his friends.

He turned, and walked away, letting his feet guide him as he thought over the last month or so.

Here. This forest. He looked around, and remembered this clearing. It where Sango had stayed with him while she debated with herself whether or not she should kill him. InuYasha saw that part of the clearing was still bare, where he had lain for so many nights, until the demons had come. He looked around, his eyes landing on the hot spring. Here, where he had first laid eyes on Sango's bare back, and started to like her. Not for her body, but for her beauty, and her mind. By that time she had had ample time to kill him, and she hadn't. He respected her for that, and knew that if he was in her position, he would have given in to lesser temptations by then. She didn't, instead remaining pure and strong. His eyes wandered around the clearing, and he smiled fondly as he remembered the happier memories. Playing tag. He had won, of course, but she had put up an excellent fight. He blushed slightly at the memory of the first kiss. It had been so unexpected, but it had felt good. He was about to become lost in the sea of memories, when he heard someone behind him.

He whirled around, claws flexed, when he saw her.

That girl from before. She walked toward him, gliding on silent feet, and stopped in front of him.

"She's not healed yet, you know." She said, her long black hair flowing around her body. Her violet eyes shone in the muted sunlight that made it's way past the blanket of leaves that rustled in the gentle wind.

"What do you mean?" InuYasha asked fearfully, afraid that Sango was going to be taken away from him, despite what he had gone through to keep her.

The woman smiled sadly.

"Her soul, right now, is rejoicing in the love you have proclaimed for her, but it won't last long." She said. "Soon, you will have to show her that you love her, instead of merely telling her." She took a step forward, and stroked InuYasha's cheek.

"Only then will her soul actually be complete, and when you realize what you have to do, you will understand why her soul will be saved by that act."

InuYasha stared down at this woman, and had a feeling that he knew her from somewhere.

"Don't I know you?" He asked softly, getting lost in her deep violet eyes. The woman smiled again, and blinked, backing away.

"I don't know, InuYasha." She said. "Do you know me?"

Sango stood in the doorway, and sighed. InuYasha had said he loved her, but he had taken off. Where was he? Was he more happy by himself? Was he with a friend? A woman? A lover?  
She shook her head free from these thoughts, and turned, entering the cabin. She knew she was wrong to doubt InuYasha, and she tried to cast those thoughts from her mind, but still they kept returning. She tried to keep herself busy, hoping that he returned home soon.

A/N Please review. It helps you know. It really does.


	19. Sango Gets Into The Sake

Pure Anger 19

InuYasha stared at the woman in front of him, and for some reason he felt he had a connection to her. For some reason, he knew that she was important to him, and that he felt some kind of love for her. If only he could remember who it was. He searched his memory furiously, trying to place the woman.

The said woman smiled again, and started to walk away, but this time InuYasha was quicker on his feet. He started following her, determined not to lose her this time. He would have to keep her in his sight, for she had no discernable scent, so he couldn't track her. He growled lightly. It would also make it easier to remember her, if he could remember her scent. He followed her through the forest for about ten minutes, before she turned to him, and this time her gaze wasn't so peaceful and sad.

"InuYasha!" She said sharply. InuYasha stopped, and cringed. She glared at him for a few more seconds, before her face softened.

"I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean to yell." She said. She walked over, and hugged him. InuYasha froze, before melting into this womans arms, hugging her back. He didn't know why, but it felt so right. He sighed, and closed his eyes, resting his chin on the womans shoulder.

A few minutes later, the woman pulled away. InuYasha almost whined at the loss of contact.

"InuYasha, I must go now, and you must turn around and leave, there are things that mortal men are not meant to see." She said, as way of explanation, furthering InuYasha's belief that she wasn't totally human. If she was, she would carry a scent.

"But..." InuYasha had no way to vocalise his feelings, and he felt that if he admitted now to not remembering who she was, then he would really hurt her feelings.

"Don't worry, InuYasha, you'll see me again, I promise." She said, smiling at him. InuYasha nodded, and took her advice, turning and fleeing, running back toward Sango as fast as he could.

So preoccupied with running, he didn't bother to look behind him, or he would have noticed that the woman slowly faded into nothingness, leaving behind no trace that she had ever been there.

_Back to Sango..._

Sango sighed again, and was about to turn around, giving up on seeing InuYasha for today, when she saw a blur out of the corner of her eye. For a second fear hit her as she thought the demons were returning, but the blur quickly showed itself to be InuYasha. She smiled, her worries fading from her mind, and she hugged him. InuYasha, still not used to the affection, merely hugged her back for a second before pulling away, a reminder to Sango to take it slow.

"Where did you go?" She asked.

InuYasha looked down at her, and took her hand, walking with her inside the cabin.

"I just went for a walk down by Kagome and Miroku's graves." He said. "Then I went to the forest." He smiled down at her sadly. "So many memories there!" He said, and Sango nodded.

"Not all of them happy." She replied, squeezing his hand. InuYasha chuckled, and nodded. "Yeah, luckily we're past all that."

Suddenly, on impulse, Sango decided to bring it up.

"Hey, InuYasha..." She said softly. He turned to her, and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Yes Sango?" He asked, curious at her tone.

She took a deep breath, and wondered how to approach the subject.

"I-in light of all that has happened..." She trailed off, and looked away for a second, and this worried InuYasha.

_Okay, first she stutters, then doesn't finish her sentence, then can't make eye contact, this can't be good..._

Sango started over. "With everything that's been going on the last month, I know you might have forgotten some things," She looked him in the eye at this part. "But do you remember?" She asked.

InuYasha was immediately confused by the vague question.

"Remember what?" He asked. Sango felt her heart fall. She had been hoping he would, too. Damn.

InuYasha saw her start to get sad, and he panicked.

_Dammit, what the hell am I supposed to remember? _He thought.

"Just please be more specific, Sango." He said. "There's tons of things I'm supposed to remember, and I don't know which one your talking about."

Sango looked up at him, and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "A promise you made to me, about something important." She said, leading him astray with the'something' part. It was actually 'someone', but he had to remember on his own, she couldn't give him the answer.

InuYasha thought about it, then shook his head.

"Sorry Sango, I'm drawing a blank." He said. "I don't remember promising you anything." He said.

Sango sighed, and tried to cover up the hurt.

"That's okay, InuYasha." She said, patting his shoulder. "Don't worry about it." Then she brightened. Maybe he would remember later. "Let's go get something to eat, InuYasha." She said. InuYasha nodded, already forgetting that he was supposed to remember something.

They left the cabin, holding hands, going off in search of food.

_Later that night..._

Sango stumbled into the cabin, obviously quite intoxicated. InuYasha walked in after her, making sure that she didn't fall down. He smirked. Sango was quite the drinker, he was finding out, and she didn't handle her alcohol very well.

InuYasha watched as she twirled around in the middle of the cabin, laughing at the shadows that played along the walls, thrown there by the fire.

_Ah well, at least she's a happy drunk, not a sad drunk._ He thought, yawning. Sango noticed.

"Awww, tired alreaaady InuYaassha?" She asked, slurring some of her words. InuYasha smiled at her.

"Yeah Sango." He said, stripping off his shirt. "I'm tired, and going to bed now."

Sango's eyes widened as she caught sight of his rippled abs, and his lightly toned chest muscles, the light sheen of sweat from the warm night glistening in the firelight. She ambled over, and threw her arms around InuYasha's neck, surprising him.

"S-Sango?" He asked, dropping the shirt that was in his hands, half folded. She looked at him, and he could smell the scent of sake on her breath. Her eyes shimmered in the light, and she moved a bit closer.

"Your pretty hot." She said, leaning a bit to the side, almost tipping over, before she corrected herself.

_Holy shit, she's so drunk!_ InuYasha thought. Then an evil thought formed in his head. _Let's have some fun with her._

He wasn't so low that he was going to take advantage of her while she was intoxicated, but that didn't mean he couldn't play head games with her.

Sango traced a finger down his chest, and over his stomach.

"We could have soooo much fun right now." She said, softly, letting her eyes wander all over his body. InuYasha silently agreed, but he didn't want to take it there, in case it was just the alcohol talking, and she wasn't ready for that step yet. Instead, he'd just mess with her head.

"Yes we could, Sango." He said, agreeing. Sango kissed him on the mouth, then, before he could react, she broke the kiss, and started kissing his throat. InuYasha was immediately lost in a sea of pleasure, and his plan was almost forgotten.

Sango's hands wandered down to his hakama waistband, and she slipped a finger inside, not far, just inside the waist band. InuYasha told himself that that was her limit, and that if she went any further, then he owed it to her to stop her.

Sango kissed lower, half closing her eyes, and wrapping her arms around his waist as she dropped to her knees, still kissing and nipping at his skin. By now she was really turned on, and she could see signs that InuYasha was too. She grinned, and kissed a path down InuYasha's stomach, swiping her tongue on the skin of his stomach right above where his pants were, wanting to go lower, but not sure if InuYasha would let her.

InuYasha, mind clouded by pleasure, decided to forget playing mind games with her. What she was doing was a much, much better idea. The pleasure was clouding his mind, but he was still firm in not allowing Sango to go any lower.

Then she licked his stomach.

His eyes widened, and he felt her tugging half-heartedly at his pants. He quickly shook off the pleasure coursing through his body, not an easy thing to do, and kneeled down swiftly, to look her in the eye.

Startled by his fast movements, Sango's eyes widened, and she leaned backwards, losing her balance. She fell back, and landed on her bum. InuYasha smirked, and crawled over her, making her lean back onto the floor. She moved her legs together, between his open legs. He dropped his right knee, and brought his left foot underneath him, to balance on. He leaned forward, and put his right hand by Sango's head, supporting himself, while his left hand snuck to the back of her neck, rubbing her gently.

Sango stared up at him, a permanent blush staining her cheeks. InuYasha leaned down, and kissed her, making her moan ever so slightly. He undid one button on her slayer suit, and pushed down the collar. He kissed her throat, and Sango closed her eyes, her body writhing underneath InuYasha.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and concentrated, knowing that it would take skill to balance her on the edge of pleasure, but keeping it toned down enough that she didn't become even more aroused. On the other hand, if he toned it down too much, she would get bored. He had to find the middle line. He gently sucked on her collarbone, and ran his free hand through her hair, making her tilt her head back, allowing him better access. While her head was tilted back, he quickly kissed her throat, and nipped her, before returning to her collarbone. He continued sucking, and kept his free hand away. After a few minutes, Sango's breathing slowed, and InuYasha knew he was getting it. He was doing good enough to make her want more, but not enough to keep her awake. Soon she would be sleeping like a baby.

InuYasha continued sucking for a few minutes, before sliding down, quietly. He undid the second button on her slayer suit, and pushed the collar further down, kissing and licking her. A few more minutes of this, and Sango was deep asleep, lulled to dreamland by InuYasha's gently pleasuring mouth.

InuYasha got up, and sighed, looking down at the girl beneath him. She was fast asleep, and he had succeeded on keeping her from doing anything she might regret in the morning. Or so he thought. He laid down beside her and pulled her close, closing his eyes. He was really tired, and was looking forward to sleeping for a good twelve hours or more.

_The next morning..._

"HOLY SHIT!" InuYasha jumped up as this exclamation reached his ears, and he looked around tiredly, trying to see what was going on. His vision cleared, and he spotted Sango sitting up, bent over, holding her head.

"What's wrong, Sango?" He asked, getting up and walking over to her. She took her head out of her hands, and looked at him for a second, before glaring at him and going back to holding her head.

InuYasha kneeled down beside her, and put his hand on her back, rubbing her back.

"Oh my God, never let me drink again, InuYasha." Sango said, groaning. "I have the biggest hangover ever, and it's killing me!"

InuYasha couldn't help but laugh, and Sango hit him half-heartedly, before groaning again. The rapid hand movement had jerked her head, and now she was paying for it.

"Asshole." She muttered. InuYasha shrugged, and sat down beside her. "Sorry Sango." He said. "But it's funny."

Sango kept her head in her hands, trying to block out all sound and light.

"It'll be funny when I rip your balls off too." She said angrily, making InuYasha double over in laughter.

"Haha, I'd like to see you try that!" He exclaimed.

Sango shot him a glare, even though she was in for the extra painful head-pounding. It hit her, and she went back to holding her head again.

"Yeah well, just because your not a man, and didn't drink as much as me, doesn't give you the right to make fun of me." She said.

InuYasha corrected her. "Actually, Sango, it does give me the right, because I was smart last night, and I don't have to pay the consequences today." He said. "That gives me every right."

He thought back to last night, when he had wanted to play mind games with her. Well, he didn't get her last night, but he was sure getting her now.

"And when you stop to think about it, I actually _did_ drink more than you, I just have a higher intoxication tolerance." He said.

"JUST GO AWAY!" She moaned, and InuYasha started laughing again, at the sound of her voice. She sounded absolutely horrible.

"Well, if you want that hangover to go away, I can help you." He said, and she looked at him, slowly this time.

"How?" She asked.

InuYasha smiled, and filled a cup half full of sake, holding it out to her.

"Trust me, it works." He said, when she shot the loathed cup a hateful glance. She glared at InuYasha, and he nodded, motioning to the cup.

"I'll kill you if this makes it worse." She said, taking the cup and drinking it down. InuYasha shook his head. "No, Sango, i might laugh at you now, but I'd never intentionally cause you more pain." He said. Sango set the cup down, and waited for the pain to go away.

"It isn't going away!" She said angrily, turning to InuYasha.

InuYasha saw her sword lying next to her, and he held up his hands.

"Just give it some time to work, Sango." He said. "It takes time."

Sango nodded, and squeezed her eyes closed again. A few minutes later, the immense pounding in her head went away slightly, and she was able to look up and move around without too much pain.

Sango laid down, and closed her eyes.

"What happened last night?" She asked, as casually as she could, hoping that nothing had happened between them. Not that she didn't want that to happen, she did, but she wanted to remember her first time.

InuYasha answered her, just as casually.

"Oh you know, the usual, the laughing, giggling, jokes, making out, jokes, having sex, you drank a whole other bottle of sake, then we did it doggy style, then we passed out." He said, not looking at her, busying himself with making breakfast.

Sango's face drained of color. If he was telling the truth, then she was so screwed. She had been drunk as hell her very first time! Then she began to worry. Was she good? Did InuYasha ever want to do it again with her? Then her mind turned to a different thought. At least she couldn't remember what the pain was like, she heard that it was really painful for a woman their first time. She shrugged, and looked at InuYasha.

"R-really?" She asked, cursing at her stutter.

InuYasha looked at her, and smiled coyly.

"Maybe it's all true, maybe it's not." He said softly. "Maybe we did it seven times, maybe we didn't do it at all." He teased. "Guess next time you won't get drunk."

Sango then wondered what was true.

"C'mon InuYasha, fun's over." She said forcefully. "What happened last night?"

InuYasha shrugged. "You kissed me, I kissed you, you passed out, I followed right after you." He said. Sango quietly exhaled.

"No lies?" She asked.

InuYasha smiled. "No lies." He said.

Sango bowed her head.

So she was safe. She could still enjoy her first time with InuYasha.

She smiled, got up, and hugged InuYasha, smiling happily at him.

"Thanks, InuYasha, I knew I could trust you." She said.


	20. A Promise, A Dragon, and Naraku's Sign

Pure Anger Chapter 20.

InuYasha smiled at Sango.

"Don't worry about it Sango," He said. "I would never do anything like that when you were intoxicated." He said. Sango nodded, and smiled.

"I know, I'm glad I can trust you with stuff like that." She said.

InuYasha smirked.

"Of course, bitch, It's me we're talking about." He said arrogantly, but Sango didn't miss the 'bitch' part he had so casually thrown in.

She was about to respond, when he said something else.

"And I know what your talking about." He said. It was Sango's turn to be confused by his vague-ness.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

InuYasha smirked.

"I remember the promise I made." He said. Sango's heart skipped a beat.

_Did he really? Will he keep it?_

"Yeah," InuYasha continued. "I thought about it, and was confused for a while when you said 'something', but then I realized that you were meaning 'someone'." He said.

"And don't worry, I still promise to free Kohaku from Naraku's clutches." He said. "No matter how long it takes me."

Sango, glad he remembered, hugged him tightly.

"You really mean it?" She asked.

InuYasha thought about it.

"Glad you asked." He said slowly. "Now that I think about it, thats a lot of work. I don't think I will." He said. "Sorry Sango."

Sango was confused. "But, you said..."

InuYasha looked apologetic.

"Yeah, but when you asked me when I was sure, I started to think about it, and I may have been a little rash when I said I would do it." He said. "I'm sorry, I feel so guilty now, but I don't want to do it."

Sango stared up at him.

"Are you serious?" She asked, trying to hold back her tears.

InuYasha held the serious attitude for a second longer, before cracking up. He started laughing, leaving poor Sango more confused than ever before.

"InuYasha!" Sango yelled. "What's going on!?"

InuYasha straighened up, wiped the tears out of his eyes, and grinned down at her.

"No I'm not serious." He said. "But that's what you get when you ask me if I'm sure if I want to keep a promise." He said, still laughing slightly. "Of course I'm going to save the kid."

Sango glared at him a second longer, before falling apart. She could never stay mad at her hanyou, and he was just kidding, so she had no reason to be mad. She hugged him again, and he hugged her back this time. She could still hear him chuckling.

"So when you going after Naraku?" She asked. InuYasha shrugged.  
"Whenever I get news of his whereabouts." He said. Sango nodded.

"Thank you, InuYasha." She said.

InuYasha nodded.

'No, don't worry, I said I'd do it, I'm gonna do it."

Sango smiled. "I know." She said, leaning against him.

They were about to go find some privacy, when a villager ran up to them, waving his arms to get their attention.

"Village Warrior!" He cried. "Village Warrior!!"

InuYasha turned at the nickname he had gotten, and saw the villager run up to him.

"What's going on?" He asked. The villager took a few seconds to catch his breath, then straightened up.

"The neighbouring village is being attacked by a demon!" He said. "We're taking in as many casualties as we can, but we're getting full!" He said. "The fighting started this morning, and we need someone to go to the neighbouring village and slay the demon! The demon is ransacking the whole town!"

InuYasha growled happily, and reached to place his hand on his sword hilt.  
"Point the way man!" He said, and the villager pointed to the West, to their left.

"Go out the west side of the village, and you will walk for about five minutes, before finding the neighbouring village." He said. "Are you up to the task?"

InuYasha flexed his claws, then whipped out his sword, transforming it into the legendary Fang.

"Are you kidding!?!" He asked. "I'm going to chop that demon into so many pieces, you guys will be able to make stew out of him." He said, sheathing his sword.

He started running, calling over his shoulder.

"SANGO!! Let's GO!!!" He yelled, his voice turning into a feral growl as he said her name. Sango swore she saw his eyes flash silver, and she grinned. Her boy was turning demon again.

She called Kirara down from the skies above, and mounted her, chasing after InuYasha.

They quickly came upon the village, and saw that a large dragon was attacking the village. InuYasha felt excitement spike through his veins, and he reveled in the feel. It raised his heartbeat, and made him twitch, as his muscles cried out for action. It raised his senses, and prepared him for battle. It was like a spike of fear, without the fear. Just the benefits. Adrenaline, energy, sharpened senses. This dragon was going to be a good opponent.

Before tearing right into the dragon, InuYasha quickly checked it's back. No spider scar, not Naraku, or a reincarnation of him. He jumped into the air, zooming past Sango and Kirara, waiting until he leveled out before unleasing the Wind Scar.

The Wind Scar tore through the air, before slamming into the dragon. It roared as part of it's tail was cut, and it turned to face InuYasha. InuYasha dropped out of the sky, slapping Sango on the ass as he zoomed back down, yelling out, "Hiraikotsu!" as he passed her. She looked down, and saw him hit the ground, taking off to confront the dragon.

Sango waited until she knew what would eventually happen. InuYasha unleased the Wind Scar again, and the dragon took to the skies to advoid the attack. Or tried to.

Sango waited until the demon was more then 10 feet in the air, before throwing her Hiraikotsu. It chopped it's way toward the demon, and curved downward, slashing off the unwary demons right wing. The dragon dropped, slamming into the ground hard. InuYasha ran closer, and unleased Wind Scar at it's neck, hoping it was strong enough. The demon was huge, and it's neck was thicker and longer than InuYasha's sword, so there was no way he could chop it's head off. Wind Scar would have to do.

It did it quite well. The dragon tried to advoid it, but the Wind Scar sliced through the dragon's neck, chopping it into five or siz pieces. InuYasha stared.

Sango and Kirara dropped down beside him, and he looked at her with such a look of dissappointment, that she had to ask what was wrong.

"It's over." He said. "It's already over!!"

Sango smirked, and was about to walk away, when something caught her eye. She walked over to the carcass, and examined the wing she had cut off.

"Umm, InuYasha?" InuYasha looked. "Yeah?"

"Come here quickly please." She said. InuYasha hurried over, and leaned over her shoulder.

"What do yo--Oh God." He said. On the inside of the wing was a six inch by six inch tattoo of a spider. It was Naraku's after all.

InuYasha cursed, and wondered why he could take down something created by Naraku so easily.

"It must be lacking a jewel shard." He said. "Either way, that was wayyyy too easy."

Sango agreed. "Wish Kagome was here, she would tell us..." She said softly. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, me too."

"What do we do now?" He asked.

Sango shrugged.

"Find Naraku." She said. InuYasha was about to walk away, when fear struck him. He didn't know why, but he figured that he wouldn't be seeing the last of this demon. He wrapped his arm around Sango's waist, and led her away from the bloody corpse, not noticing that the regenerative powers bestowed upon it were rapidly going to work. In less than ten minutes the demon would be alive again. And this time it would prove a much harder fight...

A/N: Review? What's that? How, you ask? Why, just click the blue button located beneath these words!


	21. Dragons and Demons Reborn

Pure Anger 21.

InuYasha just sat down beside Sango, when a distant roar made him jump up again. His body froze, and his thoughts turned to the demon he had just killed. Either there was another one, or it was alive again, and he highly doubted that there was two. He jumped up, motioned for Sango to stay behind, and ran out of the cabin, drawing his sword, her protests dying on the wind. He hadn't had a good fight in a while, and he wanted one where it was just him versus the demons, like it was in the old days. That way he didn't have to worry about protecting his love. He smirked, and ran toward the demon he could see in the distance. How badly he wanted this fight...

Upon reaching the demon, he saw that it was the same one he had just killed, the marks where his neck had been sliced in 6 pieces still visible. InuYasha jumped up, and slashed down at the dragon, lightly cutting the dragon's skin. Almost no damage. The dragon didn't even bother roaring. InuYasha landed, and immediately jumped into the air again, as the demons claws slashed toward him, trying to knock him off his feet. InuYasha slashed at the arm as it swept beneath him, and he scored another tiny cut. He loved it. He would drag this fight out as long as possible. InuYasha, in mid air, blocked another swipe as the dragon tried to knock him out of the air. InuYasha landed, and ran forward, dodging the dragons limbs as he went in for an attack. As he made it past the dragons flailing limbs, he plunged his sword deep into the chest of the dragon, ripping his sword out. The dragon roared, and InuYasha jumped backward, out of range of any attack that was sure to follow. He was confident this battle could be won, and it was going to be won by him, but there was just one tiny problem...

Sango chased after him, and slowly fell behind as he out-paced her. She continued running for about five minutes, lugging her heavy Hiraikotsu with her, before finally stumbling upon the scene of the battle. She arrived just in time to see him plunge his sword into the demon's chest, and jump back out of range, laughing at the demons futile attempts to counter attack.

"InuYasha!!!" She called out, and he turned to look at her, surprised. He never saw the attack coming.

InuYasha whirled around as his name reached his ears, carried there by the voice of none other than Sango herself. He wondered for a second what she was doing, he had told her to stay back. Didn't she lis--

InuYasha's thoughts were cut off as he was slammed backward, his vision exploding in a kaleidoscope of colors. When he hit the ground it temporarily knocked the wind out of him, and he struggled to breathe. He was about to get up, when the dragons clawed hand slammed down on his body, pinning him there, it's main talon going straight through his stomach. InuYasha was amazed at the amount of blood that was pumped out of his body, before the pain kicked in. He had no more thoughts after that.

The pain was agonizing. In a second, his demon side awoke, and his eyes flashed silver, the tips of his hair dying red, and silver streaks appearing on his cheeks. In a flash, he cut through the bone claw holding him to the ground, and removed the offending object from his stomach. InuYasha jumped up, now a red blur, and proceded to attack the hell out of the dragon. It took all of five seconds. The demon held it's form for a second longer, and InuYasha hit the ground. As he did so, the whole demon erupted in a blast of blood, and bone, disintegrating into nothing. Blood rained from the sky, soaking everything in the immediate area in thick warm blood. His demon blood felt the pain from the wound, and knew that two things were responsible for the pain he was feeling. One was dead, and the other was...

He whirled around, and glared at Sango.

Sango felt a pang of fear, just from the way InuYasha was looking at her. She took a step backward, and blinked. When she opened her eyes, InuYasha was right in front of her, glaring at her with his slightly glazed over silver eyes. He raised a hand, and Sango wondered if his demon side was taking control. Then she was confused. Didn't he kill his demon side? She had no more time to think of the matter when his hand went around her throat, not squeezing, merely holding her. He brought his face up close to hers, and Sango knew that this wasn't her hanyou. This was something else. Her hanyou would never do this.

"I told you to stay back Sango." He said softly, a slight growl emanating from his throat. "I knew this would happen, I can't fight and watch you at the same time." He said.

He pointed to his stomach, where the large hole was gaping at her, bleeding profusely.

"I got this from being distracted. By you." He said viciously. He released her throat, and drew his hand back, ready to punch her. "You will pay."

Sango saw his arm go back, and she knew she had to do it.

"Sit." She said, getting no satisfaction from the resulting slam, or the blood that soaked the ground. She waited a few seconds, for InuYasha to get up and curse at her, but he didn't.

"InuYasha..." Sango said.

No response. "InuYasha...?"

Nothing.

Sango knew he was either dead, or unconscious, and seeing as he had survived much worse, he was most likely unconscious. She sighed, picking him up as best she could, and dragging him back to camp.

_At the camp_

Sango dropped him on the floor, and sighed, bending down to remove his shirt. She knelt on the floor, and whipped out her knife, slicing his shirt open from the neck to the hem, opening it up. She spotted the wound, and carefully removed any dirt before beginning the gruesome task of stitching up as much of the wound as possible. When she finished, she got behind him, and pushed his upper body up, propping him into a sitting position with her knee behind his back. She started the awkward task of wrapping his waist up, and when she was finished, she laid him back down gently, ruffling his hair as he did so. She smiled at him, and let him sleep, walking outside.

She had managed to get him back to the neighbouring village, which was Kaede's, and now she stared at the setting sun as it sunk below the horizon. She was deep in thought, thinking about why InuYasha had almost punched her when his demon side was dead, or at least dormant. Also, his transformation into a demon had changed from an insane, red-eyed demon with purple marks on his cheeks, with no control to an intelligent silver-eyed demon, with red tipped hair, and silver streaks on his cheeks, who was in full control of his actions. She wandered around for awhile, letting her thoughts focus mainly on his lapse in judgement. Why would he lash out at her?

Then a terrifying thought hit her. He was a silver-eyed demon, fully in control of his actions, aware of everything that had gone on...did he mean to try to hit her?

That thought made her shiver, and she raised her head. Her feet had taken her to the same forest where he had first attacked her after Kagome and Miroku's death, and it was here that she let out the tears that she didn't know she'd been holding in.

InuYasha groaned, and woke up. He felt a sharp pain in his head, and he closed his eyes, grimacing. When the pain faded away, he realized that he had a bandage wound around his waist. He tried to remember what it was for, and he remembered the fight. Everything was fine until Sango showed up, then he had gotten distracted, and knocked down. He remembered the dragon impaling him with his talon, but everything after that was a faint red haze. He shook his head, and called out for Sango.

No answer.

"She's gone."

InuYasha looked around for the source of the voice, and he heard laughing.

"I'm inside you, InuYasha. Don't tell me you've forgotten me?"

InuYasha growled, and wondered what the hell was going on.

"You're supposed to be dead!" InuYasha growled, standing up, holding his head as a wave of dizzyness hit him. The demon laughed harshly.

"To kill me would be to kill yourself, InuYasha." The demon said. "I AM you, so if your still alive, then so am I."

InuYasha's eyes narrowed.

"Then where were you this whole time?" He asked.

"Recovering from your little stunt by the God Tree." The demon said. "I must admit, you were fairly strong, and you DID win, but I'm a demon after all, and it would be a disgrace for me to die at your hands."

"Aren't you supposed to honor our deal and not bother me again?" He asked.

The demon laughed again.

"You really are stupid, aren't you InuYasha?" InuYasha's growl became a bit louder at the insult. "Demons don't have to honor a deal made between a demon and a half-breed."

InuYasha felt himself getting angry at the demon.

"Or did you forget what happened with Shiori?" The demon mocked, making InuYasha even angrier.

"You bastard!" He said. "I swear, next time I WILL kill you!"

Sango walked slowly back to the camp, her tears dried. She wiped her face one final time as she stepped out of the forest, not wanting InuYasha to know she had been crying. She slowly walked up to the hut and entered, surprised to see InuYasha on the floor, growling, his fists clenched, face and chest slightly sweaty.

"InuYasha!" She cried, running over to him, not knowing what was wrong. "Are you okay?"

She placed her cool hand on his warm, slightly sweaty back, and it seemed to calm him a bit. A few seconds later, he looked at her, looking slightly sad.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

InuYasha shook his head.

"The demons back, Sango..." He whispered, and Sango felt a quick pang of fear, thinking that he might attack her. InuYasha stood up, and she did also. He turned to her, and his eyes flashed pink as he reached out for her.


	22. Intense Killing, Sango's Soul Saved

Pure Anger 22.

InuYasha reached out for her, and fought back the demonic impulses he could feel rising up inside him.

_'Teach this bitch a lesson, InuYasha.'_ His demon side taunted. _'If you love her, then put her in her place, make her realize that she has to listen to you if she values her life.'_

InuYasha shook his head, and put those thoughts out of his head, blocking off the demons voice with pure will power alone. He took a step forward, and wrapped his arms around Sango's neck, pulling her into a hug. He held her tight, and felt her tense up, expecting him to hit her. It made him feel so bad, but his worries were dissipated when she relaxed, hugging him back.

"I'm so sorry Sango." He said. "I don't know what happened, I wasn't in control when I got stabbed, the demon awoke, my life was threatened, it took over, I'm sorry." He said. Sango shushed him, and shook her head.

"Don't worry about it InuYasha, nothing happened, it's okay."

InuYasha nodded, but inside he knew he wasn't okay. He was plagued, and he wanted to get rid of it. He hugged Sango a bit tighter before letting her go, and she smiled at him.

"What ever happens, InuYasha, we'll get through it together." She said, taking his hand. He nodded, and was almost feeling better, when Sango winced.

His eyes widened, and he knelt down beside her as she dropped to her knees, hand over her heart. InuYasha panicked, not knowing what was going on. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled her into a hug, and whispered softly into her ear, wishing he could ease her pain.

"I love you Sango, never forget that, it'll be okay, you'll see." He said softly, and at his words, Sango felt some of the pain dissipate. It didn't totally leave though, and stayed with her for the rest of the night.

Sango smiled softly to herself. She was so content, wrapped up in InuYasha's arms, for they were currently sitting in the doorway of the hut, watching the sun set. She sighed contentedly, and InuYasha pulled her softly against his chest, his arms around her waist, head on her shoulder as she leaned back into his chest. She tilted her head back to see if she could get a glimpse of her hanyou, and instead her eyes closed in pleasure as his mouth took advantage of her exposed neck. She breathed out and lifted her arms over her head, wrapping them around the neck of her hanyou. She smiled again. Hers. No one else's. She had to struggle and fight, against him and herself to get him, but she was glad she did. He was worth it, and she wouldn't give him up for anything or anyone. Her back arched on reflex as InuYasha kissed a bit lower, heading toward her collar bone, pushing her loose kimono out of the way. She crossed her legs as she got a now familiar feeling there, in the pit of her stomach, and lower. She kept her eyes closed as he continued his ministrations. Sango wondered if tonight would be the night. She was craving it so bad, and figured that there was no better way to show him that she loved him then to do that with him. She wanted to so badly too, but she wasn't sure if InuYasha wanted to. Perhaps he was content with just nuzzling and licking, maybe he wasn't ready to take it to the next level. She inwardly shrugged, and knew that she would wait until he specifically asked or indicated that he wanted to do that. She felt her neck heating up, and the blush rising in her cheeks, but she didn't say anything, hoping Inuyasha wouldn't notice.

InuYasha continued kissing her neck, and felt her skin heat up, her cheeks flushing bright red. He smirked, knowing that she was thinking dirty thoughts again. He slowly slid his left hand down her stomach, to her hips, and on to her leg, before sliding back up again, to reach a bit higher, stopping right before he would have grabbed her breast.

InuYasha teased her for a few more seconds, before apologizing, and detaching himself from her grasp. He stretched, and as he moved away from her, deeper into the cabin, the pain over her heart intensified slightly. She grimaced, and stood up, following him into the cabin. His back was to her, and she moved forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, and hugging him tightly, her head turned to the left, resting against his back. InuYasha wondered what she was doing, and he placed his hands over hers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Don't worry, Sango, I'm not going anywhere." He said. "I'm just getting a drink of water."

Sango felt the pain dissipate as she resumed her close-ness with him, and sighed, closing her eyes.

"I know that, I-" She stopped, wondering how to put it into words without making him panic.

InuYasha turned around, hearing her hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and stared into her eyes, wondering what was going on.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly, letting his forehead rest against hers, still looking at her. He rubbed her back, and she smiled at him.

"It's just that when you get too far away from me, I feel a pain in my heart, and it scares me, because it reminds me of when my soul tried leaving my body." She said, hugging him tighter, burying her face in his chest. InuYasha hugged her a bit tighter, letting her know that he was never going to let her go.

"Don't worry Sango, I won't ever let anything happen to you." He said, feeling her nod against his chest.

She pulled away, and smiled at him, taking his hand. She led him out of the cabin, where it was starting to get dark out, the sun gone beneath the horizon.

"InuYasha, I--" She was cut off as they heard a commotion near the center of the village, and screaming and yelling. InuYasha's pulse quickened, and he flicked an ear toward the noise, looking at Sango.

"Let's go!" He said, and they took off running, wondering what had caused the sudden commotion. They cut around a few huts, and burst into the main part of the village, a large clear area that was often used by peddlers when they came through town, to sell their goods.

In the center of the clearing, was a man with a large sword. For a second, InuYasha had a flashback to his battle with Bankotsu, then shook it off. This sword wasn't that big.

The man was standing confidently in the center of the clearing, weight on his left leg, right leg slightly bent, resting his right arm on his sword, its point buried in the ground. His eyes were a deep blue-ish color, and his long red hair fell down to his waist. He had it tied back, but a few strands were in his face, which he blew at, non chalantly, as InuYasha glared at him. At his feet was a young girl, about fifteen, on her hands and knees, crying. InuYasha's ears twitched as he heard the girls cries.

"Who the fuck are you and what's going on!?" InuYasha said, taking a step forward threateningly. Quick as lightning, the sword was out of the ground, and resting on the groveling girls left shoulder.

"Stay back half-breed, or this girl dies." He said, his voice smooth. InuYasha noticed that there was a tiny inch long cut on his left cheek, but it was the tiny details like that that InuYasha always noticed when he was gauging his enemies strength. He also noticed that the guy shifted his weight evenly to both legs. InuYasha growled, and felt his muscles tense up. Not only was he insulted, but the girl that was bowing before the stranger, he knew her. He really didn't want her hurt. He looked around. All the villagers were tense, some holding onto katana's, and most of them holding onto shovels, and other garden tools.

InuYasha glared at the stranger.

"Answer me!" He said forcefully, feeling Sango slink up beside him, Hiraikotsu at the ready.

The guy smirked.

"I am Himura." He said. "Call me that."

InuYasha nodded.

"Okay, Himura." He said. "What are you doing here, and why are you threatening us?" He asked.

The guy shrugged. "Oh, I'm just looking for someone to be my mate, so I can conquer these pitiful lands." He said. "But so far all I've found are weaklings like this." He said, indicating the girl. "Sure she's pretty, and probably a good lay, but I need someone strong to help me fight."

InuYasha growled at his disrespect for women, and was about to speak up, when Himura inturrupted.

"Her." He said, his eyes lighting up as he stared at Sango.

Sango shook her head, and readied her Hiraikotsu.

InuYasha growled, and drew his sword. NO ONE was going to touch Sango. The way Himura was looking at Sango made his skin crawl, and caused the anger to rush through his body like never before. Sango was his, she was sacred and innocent, and InuYasha wouldn't let Himura do what he was implying to Sango, much less let him get away with _thinking_ about doing that.

"Just try and fucking touch her!" He screamed, jumping forward.

Himura laughed, and thew his sword to the side, kicking the girl out of the way. Sango dashed forward and grabbed her by the kimono collar, dragging her out of the way of the fight.

InuYasha saw him discard his weapon, and smirked. He thew his sword to the side, and in doing so, left his stomach open. Himura took the opportunity to punch him, hard enough to catch InuYasha off guard.

"When I win this fight," Himura said, dodging InuYasha's wide right hand, "I'm going to fuck that girl over there so hard, it will break her. Then she will fight for me, and I will conquer all these lands."

InuYasha couldn't stand to hear him talk about Sango like that, and he snapped. His demon side stayed locked away, knowing better than to get between InuYasha and and the man who insulted his love.

"YOU SICK MOTHERFUCKER!"

InuYasha grabbed the front of his shirt, before Himura could react, and InuYasha punched him in the face, as hard as he could. He felt adrenaline spike through him as he connected with Himura's mouth, blood spraying everywhere as he split open his lip.

InuYasha, now so angry he couldn't think straight, punched Himura three more times, quickly, letting go of his shirt on the last punch. Himura fell to the ground, and InuYasha jumped on top of him, raining down punches with his left hand. By now InuYasha had split his knuckle open on the guys teeth, but he didn't care. He couldn't feel it anyway. He punched the guy as hard and fast as he could, and the guy feebly tried to hit back. InuYasha started breathing heavily, blood coating his hand.

"Don't you EVER talk about Sango like that!" He yelled, standing up and kicking Himura in the face. Blood splashed everywhere, turning the dust into red mud.  
"Stupid motherfucker!"

InuYasha raised his foot, and common sense evading him, brought his foot down as hard as he could, smashing into Himura's face. Himura's nose, if it wasn't already broken, sure was now, and any facial features that might have made him attractive were gone. InuYasha breathed in heavily through his nose, and discovered that this man still had the scent of life. InuYasha dropped down again, and smashed his palm into Himura's face, before quickly making a fist, and smashing him in the face over and over again, not stopping. By now the anger that he had thought was gone was gripping him so tightly, he was barely in control of his moves. He thought of something to do to this man, and his body reacted, before he could think twice. By now the man wasn't moving, he was quite still. It didn't matter to InuYasha.

InuYasha picked Himura up by his pulpy face, and let his body dangle down, exposing his throat. With a quick flick, InuYasha's finger nail sliced across his thoat, opening it up and letting his heart pump his blood out.

InuYasha, still gripped in the unsatiable anger, started squeezing. Slowly, his talons sliced through the mans face, until they reached bone. InuYasha squeezed a bit harder, and his talons started cracking the bone. Unimaginable amounts of blood ran down his hand and soaked his kimono. InuYasha growled, thought back to what the man had said, and he gave one final squeeze, his talons cracking through Himura's skull, and going right through his brain like it was butter. InuYasha held him like that for a few seconds, until Himura's head fell apart, skull fragments and pieces of skin and brain slipping through his fingers.

InuYasha calmed down, and then rationality kicked in. He had just fucked this guy up so bad. Just the thought of it made him want to laugh, but he knew that what that guy wanted to do to Sango was no laughing matter.

InuYasha looked down at the headless body, and picked up Himura's sword. He twirled it around his wrist a few times, before throwing it as hard as he could. It sliced through the air and impaled the body, sending blood squirting into the air.

"InuYasha ENOUGH!"

InuYasha was brought back to reality by Sango's tearful voice. He turned around, and looked at her. She stared back at him, eyes wet with unshed tears.

"It was enough that you killed him, InuYasha, you didn't have to be a brutal monster about it!" She yelled. InuYasha growled, not in anger, but in objection.

"Did you not hear what he said??" InuYasha asked. "I was only protecting you!" He yelled back.

Sango shook her head, and walked toward him, hugging him tight. Immediately blood began to soak through her kimono, and onto her demon slayer suit, and it made her realize again just how violent InuYasha could be. She didn't care. She felt herself start to shake, and she knew that it was a natural reaction to what she had just witnessed. She wasn't scared of InuYasha, she just hadn't seen such brutal deaths since watching Kohaku slay her family. She felt the tears leaking out, and tried to suppress them.

Nevertheless, InuYasha smelled them, or felt them, she didn't know, and he pulled away from her, looking at her in concern. By now most of the villagers had vacated the area, and it was just them and a few other people milling around.

"So I scare you that much, Sango?" He asked gently. He raised a clawed hand to gently stroke her cheek, and she closed her eyes, enjoying his touch.

"N-no, InuYasha, it's not that." She whispered. InuYasha leaned in, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"What bothers you then?" He asked.

Sango shook her head, and clung onto him tighter.

"I've just never seen such a violent death since my family was slain by Kohaku." She said. "It brought up a whole lot of bad memories."

InuYasha hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry." He said. "Please forgive me."

Sango managed a small laugh.

"Don't worry, InuYasha, you didn't do anything wrong." She said. "I know you were only trying to protect me." She said softly, looking up at him.

"And I do appreciate it." She said. She leaned up, and slid her arms around his neck.

"I love you." She said, before kissing him.

_Later that night..._

InuYasha turned over, and for some reason, he couldn't get to sleep. Sango was passed out beside him, tired from crying and expending so much energy today. InuYasha knew he should have been tired, but he couldn't sleep. For some reason, he kept thinking back to what that bastard had said. He had been talking about raping Sango, of course, then making her fight for him, until he had control of all the lands. But it wasn't that. It was the part where he said he was going to have sex with her. InuYasha rolled over again, and instinctively growled as he thought of that bastard getting anywhere near his Sango. He flexed his claws, and thought back to the fight. He didn't want to admit it, but it had felt good. Especially that first punch. It was so loud, everyone must have heard his knuckles splitting that bastards lip all over his teeth. InuYasha winced as his split knuckle dragged across the floor as he rolled over again. He turned his thoughts from the fight to Sango. She had relived a bunch of memories today, had watched her love go psycho and fuck up another guy, and now she had to worry if he might go crazy and attack her. She had never said that of course, but InuYasha was sure she was thinking it. He felt so bad now, but there was nothing to be done.

He sighed. Sango had gone to sleep tonight with those pains in her chest again, and InuYasha guessed that her soul was trying to escape her body, once again being torn apart and no longer complete by re-experiencing the painful memories of watching her family get slaughtered by her brother. His mind flicked back to what the guy wanted to do to Sango, and he knew that he wouldn't leave that alone for a long time. It pissed him off so much. His thoughts flicked to that mysterious woman, and what she had said. Sango's soul was incomplete, and there was only one way for it to be complete.

InuYasha thought about it for a few more minutes, finally getting tired. He was almost asleep, when it hit him like a brick. He sat up, breathing heavily, sweating. He looked around to see if he had woken Sango, and was glad to see that he hadn't.

He thought about it for a few more minutes, before realizing the implications, and how it would change everything. She might even hate him. She could think he was betraying her, lying, but it had to be done. With a sigh, he rolled over a final time, and drifted off into an uneasy sleep, now knowing after so long how to save Sango's soul.


	23. How A Soul Is Saved

Pure Anger 23.

InuYasha awoke the next morning with feelings of dread rippling through his body. He had to tell Sango, but he wasn't sure how she would take it. She would probably either hit him, or laugh at him, depending on how she felt. He was glad that he was the first one awake this morning, it gave him some time to think. He slowly made some food, and retreated to a corner to think. It really was a tricky situation. Somehow, he needed to get her to believe him. And with all the things he had screwed up on in the past, it didn't seem as possible as he had hoped last night. He sighed, and tilted his head back, swallowing some water. The matter at hand was eating through him, and his stomach was starting to hurt, from worrying so much.

InuYasha shook his head, and discarded those thoughts.

"Whatever, I'll just come out and tell her when she gets up." He said to himself.

"Come out and tell me what?" He heard Sango ask.

InuYasha jumped, and looked to his left, where Sango was waking up, rubbing her sleepy face. InuYasha momentarily forgot about his problem, and sat there, admiring her beauty. Her dark brown hair was slightly tangled, and she sat up, bowing her head slightly as she ran her fingers through her hair, getting rid of the tangles. Her arms went behind her head to run her fingers through her hair, and InuYasha caught a glimpse of her triceps flexing. The muscle was small, not overly large, but it showed off her athletic prowess, and made her even more attractive. As she straightened up, she opened her eyes to stare at InuYasha with her large seductive brown eyes. They shimmered in the morning sunlight streaming in through the slightly open cabin door, and InuYasha couldn't help but stare. She was so damn beautiful.

"Uhh, InuYasha, are you okay?" She asked, breaking the spell. InuYasha blinked, and shook his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sango." He said.

Sango nodded, and shifted position, stretching.

"So what did you want to tell me?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged.

"Oh, uh, I found out how to finally heal your soul, and stop the pains in your chest." He said, praying that he was right, or Sango would hate him forever.

Sango nodded.

"Oh, and how do you suppose that we do that?" She asked, fixing her kimono collar. It just so happened that she had pulled it outward, to keep it from choking her, and it now offered InuYasha a slightly better few of her wrapped breasts. InuYasha adverted his eyes nervously. She wasn't wearing her slayer suit underneath her kimono today. Damn.

"Uh, we gotta..."

Sango raised an eyebrow.

"We?" She asked. "Wouldn't it be something I would have to do, seeing as it's my soul?" She asked. "Or is it some type of demon that we have to slay?"

InuYasha shook his head, and tried desperately to fight the blush that was rising up in his cheeks. "None of that, Sango." He said. "It's..."

Sango made a motion with her hand.

"Come on, InuYasha, you can do it." She said, jokingly.

InuYasha wiped the sweat off his forehead, and took a deep breath.

"Wehavetohavesex." He said, really fast, hoping she wouldn't hit him.

Sango looked at him a bit closer, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to catch his string of gibberish.

"Slow down and repeat what you said, I didn't hear you the first time." She said, her voice changing slightly.

InuYasha figeted nervously, picking at the hem of his shirt.

"We have to have sex." He said, making it clear to her.

Sango was shocked that he had come out and said it, but she tried not to show her embarrassment, instead she only smirked.

"Please explain to me how this will help me." She said, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Un, well, you know, if we do it, and I mark you and stuff, then we've become mates, and then our souls will become one, and then you will have part of my soul, and I will have part of yours, then your soul will be complete, and then there's no problems, and everythings good." He said, in the longest run-on sentence Sango had ever heard.

Sango leaned forward, and allowed herself to smile a bit.

So your saying that if we make love, and you take me as your mate, and you mark me in the traditional way demons mark their mates, then our souls will come together, and thus solving my problem of having an incomplete soul?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah that's pretty much it." He said.

"And after that, what then?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged, glad that the conversation was turning away from the embarrassing topic of sex.

"Then we hunt down Naraku and kill him, save Kohaku, then do whatever we want." He said confidently.

Sango stared at him.

"Do you want to have sex?" She asked.

InuYasha groaned inwardly, feeling the blush creeping up his neck and into his face again.

"Y-yeah, I mean, it will save you, right?" He asked.

Sango shook her head.

"That's not what I was asking, InuYasha." She said. She leaned a bit closer.

"Do you want to have sex with me?" She asked.

InuYasha swallowed, and nodded.

"Yes." He said.

Sango smiled, and hugged him.

"Not to sound like I want to move too fast or anything, InuYasha, but I've wanted this for so long." She whispered. "I just wasn't sure about you."

InuYasha relaxed, glad that Sango was okay with his idea. And it had better work, or it would make him look like the biggest lying conniving bastard since Naraku came to town.

"Yeah, to tell the truth, I've thought about it sometimes, and I've wanted to do it a few times, but I didn't want you to think that that's what I was after in this relationship, because it isn't what I'm after." He said.

Sango smiled, and kissed his neck.

'I know, InuYasha, but it's okay, I trust you, and I want you." She said, sliding her hand off his shoulder and down his chest.

"So," She said, pushing herself closer to him, and placing her mouth by his sensitive dog ears. "When do you want to do this?" She asked playfully.

InuYasha blushed, and realized that he could fufill his wildest fantasies right now. She was practically asking him to.

"Uh, I don't know, why don't you pick?" He asked, still not completely comfortable with the idea of telling Sango he wanted to have sex with her.

Sango grinned playfully, and kissed him on the lips.

"Oh, InuYasha, if I chose when we would have sex, then you would never have time to kill Naraku." She said slyly.

InuYasha's blush deepened.

"D-do you want it that much?" He asked.

Sango stroked his cheek.

"Don't you?" She asked.

InuYasha closed his eyes, then opened them and nodded. Several thoughts were running rampant through his head right now, but he couldn't let them control him.

"Yeah." He said truthfully.

Sango kissed him again, and pushed him down on his back.

"So, you still didn't answer me." She said. "When do you want to do this?"

InuYasha shrugged.

"You pick." He answered.

Sango shrugged. "Aww, that's no fun, InuYasha." She said, leaning down and kissing him. "I want you to hold me down and fuck me..." She stopped, realizing that she had said too much, and InuYasha cocked his head to the left a bit, staring at her.

"You really think of stuff like that?" He asked. Sango nodded, embarrassed.

"Uh, yeah." She whispered, bowing her head.

InuYasha grinned.

"Wow, that's pretty hot." He said. Sango shrugged and kept her gaze adverted.

"You think so?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah."

Sango slid off his waist where she was straddling him, and laid out beside him.

"Let's just relax and think about it for a while, shall we?" She asked, and InuYasha nodded.

"Okay." He said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close.

They stayed like that for fifteen minutes, each with their own thoughts, on what they wanted, what they were going to do, what they had to do, and what it meant.

Sango wanted him. She had for a while now. She was so glad this had come up, she was thinking that she would have to make the first move, or risk death by alcohol poisoning trying to drink sake until InuYasha was drunk, and a little looser. She sighed, and snuggled closer to InuYasha, glad that he wanted to have sex with her. She didn't know why, but it felt like it was proof of his love. She knew it sounded stupid, most guys would just fuck her and not bother to show her that they loved her, but with InuYasha it was different. She supposed that it was because he was half dog, and he had a strong sense of loyalty, and since he grew up with the ideals that he had, he was willing to only mate with one person, and so he had to be careful in choosing a mate. Not only was Sango glad that he had chosen her willingly, he would be the most loyal mate, and she was sure that she would have no problems with him cheating or anything behind her back. She smiled. InuYasha was going to be her mate, and he was a mate to be proud of.

InuYasha stared at the ceiling and felt the girl next to him breathing evenly, despite her obvious arousal. InuYasha was none too calm himself, but he was doing well, thinking of other things instead of the naughty things that often plagued his mind.

Sango was very special to him, she had stayed with him through all that had happened, despite the fact that she had only stayed with him for the first little while to try to kill him. She now loved him, and he loved her back, and wanting to mate with her, he was sure that it was a very real feeling he was having, and he was glad that no one had told him what he had to do. If they had, he might not have been so sure, but instead the feelings had come naturally, and it was a decision he had made by himself. Sex to him meant one partner, his whole life. He was sure that he would have no partner other than Sango. He was sure that even though it was the only way to save her, he wasn't just going to do it because it would save her, he was going to do it because he loved her, he wanted it, she wanted it, and it would bring them a little closer together. He smiled, and rolled over, straddling her waist, his hands on either side of her head. He stared down at her, and smiled a bit.

"I made my decision." He said softly.

Sango cocked an eyebrow, raising a hand up to push some of his loose silver hair behind his shoulder, so she could get a better look at his beautiful face.

"Oh really?" She asked, slipping her hand around to the back of his neck, where his skin was still heated from his blush.

InuYasha nodded slowly.

"Yup." He said. "I did."

"And what did you choose?" She asked.

InuYasha smiled down at her happily, and leaned down to kiss her.

"Let me show you what I chose..."

Please review. Hope you enjoyed it. Lemon may or may not be in next chapter, depending on what you guys want.


	24. Sango's Taken

Pure Anger 24.

InuYasha kissed Sango softly, and closed his eyes as Sango moaned, deepening the kiss. He slipped his hand down from her slender neck to her hips, and kept his hand there, as he dropped down closer to her, opening his mouth and deepening the kiss, tilting his head to the left a bit. Sango responded, and he felt her hands on his chest, not pushing him away, rather, sliding down his chest to his stomach, and from there to his hakama waistband. Eyes closed and still kissing InuYasha, she slipped her left hand into his waist band, and pulled it down slightly. InuYasha pushed his hips a bit closer to her, and Sango opened her legs, raising her knees on either side of him. She slipped her hands around to his bum, and squeezed it gently, before pulling him into her, moaning as his erection was pressed against her. InuYasha broke off the kiss to look down at her, eyes glazed over in anticipation of what was going to happen. Sango was just as ready, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down. InuYasha gave her a quick kiss on the lips, before kissing her neck. He started sucking lightly on her neck, his fangs scraping gently against her skin, making her shiver. She hugged him tightly, not wanting to ever let him go.

"I want you, InuYasha." She whispered in his ear, making it twitch as her warm breath tickled it. InuYasha laughed softly, and nuzzled her neck. He continued sucking on her neck, and slid his hands from her waist to just underneath her breasts, teasing her. She giggled, and told him to continue. He didn't and instead, slipped his hands back down her body, to her hips again. Sango pouted for a second, before leaning up and kissing him. InuYasha kissed her back, and pressed his hips gently against her again, making her moan.

InuYasha was about to take it further, when the cabin door opened, and Kaede walked in. Her one good eye widened at the scene she saw, InuYasha on top of Sango, Sango's face bright red, moaning softly. Kaede swiftly brought her walking stick crashing down on top of InuYasha's head, making him yelp and scramble off of Sango.

"Not in here!" She said. "Take your sex somewhere else!"

Sango quickly stood up, and made sure that her clothes weren't wrinkled, then fixed her hair, clearing her throat.

InuYasha, his head hurting mildly, stood up and pointed at Kaede.

"What was that for, wench?" InuYasha yelled. Kaede calmly clasped her hands in front of her.

"I do not desire to come back to my cabin after several days absence, to find ye on top of Sango, ready to do who-knows-what to her." She said. InuYasha, his head and pride both hurting now, mumbled something, and grabbed Sango's hand, pulling her out of the cabin, toward the forest.

"W-where are we going, InuYasha?" Sango asked. InuYasha looked at her, and shrugged.

"I don't know, somewhere away from her." He said, meaning Kaede. Sango nodded, and walked beside him, still holding his hand.

A few minutes passed in silence, before Sango spoke up.

"So, you were going to do it with me, weren't you?" She asked. InuYasha blushed, and nodded. "Yeah." He said. Sango stopped him, and smiled at him.

"That's sweet." She said softly. She leaned up, and kissed InuYasha gently on the mouth. InuYasha was surprised, but not surprised enough that he didn't respond, hugging her and returning the kiss. It lasted a few seconds, before it was interrupted.

InuYasha's ear flicked behind him, and a scent reached his nose that he didn't recognise. He stopped the kiss, and smiled down at Sango.

"There might be trouble." He said softly, and Sango looked at him, confused. Suddenly, InuYasha spun around, drawing his sword, slashing upward. His sword clinked off a shuriken that was thrown at him, and it was deflected, zinging off into the bushes to his right. He made sure that Sango was behind him, and having forgotten her sword, she was almost defenseless.

InuYasha's eyes strained in the leafy forest to see his foe, and he thought he saw something move off to the left. He turned, and felt Sango move with him, always staying behind him. All at once, three shurikens came slicing out of the forest toward him, and he didn't have time to react. He raised his fang, and two of them embedded themselves into its surface, while the third sliced through his shoulder. He winced, and was about to unleash the Wind Scar, when a voice was heard.

"You killed Himura, and for that you will pay."

The voice was a womans voice, but it was unmistakeably the voice of a skilled warrior, confident and unafraid, yet not cocky. InuYasha wondered who it was, when they walked out of the forest, a sword in hand.

"I am a...was a friend of Himura, and now that I've found who has killed him, that person will suffer." She said. InuYasha got a good look at her as she stepped forward. She had on a faded black hakama, the legs cut off a few inches below the knees. It was tight around her hips, yet low. She had on a tight fitting black sleeveless shirt, and it stopped at her belly-button. Her ankles and wrists were wrapped in white fabric, and she was barefoot. She had a slender neck, and a beautiful unscarred face, with large turquoise eyes, which were now glaring at InuYasha. Her dark pupils rapidly dilated, getting smaller as the trees above her swayed in the wind, letting sunlight into the forest, then getting bigger as the trees blocked out the sunlight. InuYasha saw that her hair was pure black, and would have been waist length, if it wasn't up in a pony-tail, tied with a black ribbon. Then InuYasha noticed the markings. They were on her shoulders, and stomach, and probably other places, but those places were concealed by clothing.

"What are you...?" InuYasha asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice. The red markings scared him. There were two spirals, one on each shoulder, then on her stomach, was a line that came from under her shirt, and disappeared underneath her shorts. Through that line were three smaller lines. The smallest was high on her smooth stomach, about three inches long, and the second was medium length, about 6 inches, then the longest was just above her hakama waistband, about twelve inches across, from hip to hip, wrapping halfway around to her back.

"What's your name, and what are those weird markings?" InuYasha asked.

The girl smiled, revealing slightly elongated fangs.

"You have to earn the right to know my name, but as to the markings, I will gladly tell you." She said.

InuYasha switched his grasp on his sword, and swallowed, feeling Sango's hands on his back, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Okay, start talking." He said roughly.

The girl smiled again, and confidently sheathed her sword.

"The two spirals on my shoulder have two meanings." She said. "The one on my left shoulder indicates that I have unlimited energy upon which to complete the task." She said. "Notice how the spiral line never ends."

InuYasha looked a bit closer, and realized that the beginning and end of the spiral continued on into the spiral itself, so that it was one infinite line, no matter where you started, it was one long infinite line. The one on her right shoulder was the same.

"The one on my right shoulder indicates that there is no time limit for the task to be completed." She said conversationally.

InuYasha didn't like the sound of this. It sounded like black magic, something a dark miko would have come up with. "What are those markings on your stomach?"

The girl grinned.

"Ahh, my favorite markings." She said.

"The line going straight down represents the bond I have, and reminds me to not get side tracked." She said. "The three lines represent the three chances I have to complete the task."

InuYasha felt his stomach go queasy when she said the word 'task' this time.

"And what is this...'task'?" InuYasha asked.

The girl stretched, then brought her hands down, swiftly drawing her sword as she did so.

"To kill you."

InuYasha tightened his grip on his fang, and got ready for an attack.

"In conclusion, all the markings do is represent that I have unlimited time, unlimited energy, one bond and three chances to kill you." She said.

InuYasha couldn't help but wonder.

"One bond?" He asked.

"Yes, I made a pact with a demon." She said. InuYasha thought this sounded familiar, and again he remembered someone who had practised black magic, and made a pact with a demon snake, but in the situation he was in, he couldn't quite remember her name.

"The demon agrees to give me unlimited energy, for an unlimited amount of time, and when I kill you, he eats your corpse. But if I fail, remember, I only have three chances, he comes and gets to eat what is left of my body." She said.

"Pretty good deal, eh?" She asked.

InuYasha snorted. "Guess your demon friend will be feasting on you tonight!" He yelled, and lunged forward, slashing toward her with his sword. The girl only smiled, before jumping into the air, and dissappearing. InuYasha landed, his heavy sword falling into the dirt, and he looked around. He couldn't see her, and he immediately thought of Sango. He looked at her, and saw her looking around, fists raised, ready to defend herself as best she could. InuYasha smiled. She was always so dependable, and she could take care of herself, and he loved that about her, among many other things.

InuYasha pulled his sword out of the ground, and raised it up, jumping into the air. As he did so, three shurikens thudded into a tree, which he had been standing in front of. He thanked whoever was watching him that they hadn't hit him, and looked around. The woman was nowhere to be seen, and Sango looked nervous.

InuYasha moved back over to her, wanting to be within arms reach in case something happened. InuYasha heard a noise to his left, but when he turned to look, all he was was a single shuriken sticking out of the dirt. Suddenly, InuYasha got a weird feeling, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He looked at Sango, and she looked back at him. InuYasha didn't know how he knew, but he knew something was coming. He dived toward Sango, and grabbed her, pushing her to the ground. They hit the ground, and rolled, as several shurikens sliced through the air where they had just been standing. They kept rolling to their left as the woman passed over them, raining down shurikens on the space where they had just been laying. InuYasha scrambled up, and unleashed a Wind Scar toward the direction she had dissappeared to, and cursed as a shuriken came sailing out of the forest, telling him that she wasn't slain. InuYasha threw himself to the dirt, and winced as he landed on his wounded shoulder.

He grimaced, and stood up, looking around for Sango. He spotted her running toward him, and he stood up. He looked around for the woman, and suddenly, Sango's short scream reached his ears. He swiveled around, and saw Sango looking at him fearfully, her hands grasping ineffectually at an arm that was around her throat. And that arm belonged to that damn woman. A shuriken was held inches from Sango's throat, and InuYasha stopped all movement, not wanting to give her a reason to kill Sango. InuYasha dropped his sword, at the unspoken request, but knew that he was just as good with his fists and claws as he was with his sword. He had an extra weapon, and that woman didn't know it, and as long as she didn't, then he had the advantage. He took a step closer, and the shuriken moved slightly closer to Sango's neck.

"Well, this is a problem." The girl said, laughing.

InuYasha didn't see anything funny about the situation, but allowed himself a small smile. After all, this person just put Sango in danger. His demon side was none too pleased, and if he had even the smallest chance, then this person would pay. He took a tiny step closer, and the blade moved millimeters, making Sango gasp as it touched her throat. She looked at InuYasha with pleading eyes, and InuYasha felt a bit of fear. He really loved this girl, and she was in harms way now because of him. He slid his gaze from Sango's worried and fearful face to the womans calm and confident one. He stared at her, but couldn't help notice the tear that slid down Sango's cheek, no matter how hard she had tried to control it, it had slipped out. InuYasha now felt no pity for this bitch who had made Sango cry, and she was sure going to recieve the fullest extent of his rage.

"Well, seeing as we're at a stand off, I'll consider this attempt number one." She said. "Therefore, I have two left." She said. She slowly slid the shuriken across Sango's throat, but didn't apply any pressure, and didn't draw any blood. Then she smiled at InuYasha.

"I'll be seeing you, InuYasha." She said. Then, before InuYasha could react, she slipped her arm from around Sango's thoat, to lower around her waist. She gathered all her strength in her legs, and jumped up, dragging Sango with her. InuYasha ran forward, and disregarded the hail of shurikens that fell from the sky, taking multiple cuts and slashes as he chased after the woman. He could hear Sango screaming to be put down, and the womans faint laughter, then saw them dissappear from the sky. InuYasha raised his hands up until the last shurikens fell from the sky, and then tried to track them by scent.

He jumped up, and followed their scent to a point in the air, but it just stopped. Like they had vanished. He cursed, and then it finally clicked in.

Sango had been taken away from him by a psychopath woman who would do who-knows-what to her. He cursed, and slammed back into the ground, running as hard and fast as he could back to Kaede's.

Sango opened her eyes to see that she was in a cave, and was still being held by the woman. She was about to open her mouth and demand to be let go, when she was thrust unceremoniously to the cave floor, and told to make herself comfortable.

"I will come by later with a change of clothes and some food, but for now just sit still and stay quiet. And don't try to escape, if I catch you, you will be killed." The girl said. As she walked away, Sango couldn't help but notice that the short line on her stomach had dissappeared, and there were only the medium and long lines left on her. As the girl dissappeared out of view, she turned her thoughts to InuYasha, and how much she missed him. There was no pain in her chest, so she couldn't be far away from him. She sighed, and laid back on the stone floor of the cave, wondering what was going to happen to her.

A/N Sorry for the long update period, I was stuck for ideas, and I didn't want to start writing until I had some ideas, or else the chapter would have been short and poorly written. Reviews and constructive critisism are appreciated.


	25. Second Chance Unsuccessful

Pure Anger 25.

InuYasha slammed the door open, surprising Kaede.

"What is the rush, InuYasha, and where is Sango?" She asked. InuYasha growled softly, trying to calm down so he could effectively tell Kaede what had happened.

"I was walking through the forest with Sango when some bitch appeared out of nowhere, and said something about being the friend of the guy I killed a while ago." He said. He squeezed his hands together, his talons digging into his hands.

"And then what, InuYasha?" She asked. "Surely she was not killed."

InuYasha glared at her. "No, she wasn't." He said.

"The person said something about having three chances and one bond to kill me, then when she tried, I evaded her attacks, but the fight took me away from Sango's side, so the woman got behind Sango and threatened to kill her if I made a move." He said. "After a minutes stalemate, she jumped into the air with Sango still under seige, and dissappeared, and for some reason I'm unable to trace either of their scents." He said.

Kaede frowned.

"Hmm, this is disturbing, it's either you or Sango that is being threatened continuously, since the slaying of Kagome and Miroku, it's bad news." She said. "I don't think any four of ye could attract as much trouble as you two are managing to do now." She said.

InuYasha sighed. "Save the lecture, Sango will want to hear it, and I doubt you will want to repeat it." He said. "I have to get her back, do you know anything about what's going on based on what I've told you?" He asked.

Kaede thought about it for a minute, then heaved a tired sigh.

"She appears to be just another common enemy, nothing you should worry about, InuYasha, but still, it's best to be cautious, she seems to like random strikes, and prefers to do so under the cover of darkness or foilage." She said. "Until you get Sango back and kill her, it's best to never let your guard down."

InuYasha normally would have insulted her for not being able to do better than that, but the situation was too serious for that.

He merely nodded, and stood, his hand on his hilt.

"Thanks Kaede." He said. He turned around, and walked out, intent on staying out until he encountered her again.

The girl fell silently from the skies, katana drawn and aimed at InuYasha's unprotected and unsuspecting back. As she landed, the blade sliced deeply into his back, making him yell out in pain, and turn around swiftly, blood soaking his kimono. He was now really wounded, and she had made the first strike. She was guaranteed to win this fight.

"You bitch!" He snarled, fighting the pain that was burning up his back. She shrugged, and raised the sword slowly, before bringing it down swiftly, making InuYasha flinch. Some blood flicked off the end of the blade, and coated the grass with it's dark coloring.

InuYasha felt the haze of pain slowly fade away, and he really got a good look at the girl. She was still in the same black outfit, with white ankle and wrist bands, and she looked a lot more confident. InuYasha grinned. He didn't care how strong she was, Sango wasn't around to take his attention away from her, so she was going to pay. He cracked his knuckles, and jumped forward, arm raised high, ready to claw her in two. The girl 'tsk'ed, and jumped off to the side, narrowly escaping his threshing claws. He landed, and dashed off to the side, clawing at her again. Again she dodged, and this time counter attacked, slashing down toward InuYasha with her sword. InuYasha knew he could afford to take the hit, so he didn't bother dodging, and the sword slashed through his let shoulder, making him growl. He leapt forward, and attacked her again. This time she wasn't so quick to dodge, and merely raised her sword in front of her as a defense. InuYasha growled, and sent his hand slashing toward the sword. She held it out in front of her, so InuYasha's palm impacted the swords point, and the sword sliced clean through his hand. He kept going, sliding his hand right down to the hilt of the sword, surprising the girl. He gripped the handle with his free hand, and contracted his fist, crushing her fingers against the hilt. She immediately let go, and InuYasha let her hand slide off the hilt, before he grabbed the handle, and pulled, sliding the sword out of his hand like he would a sheath. He glared at her, and he could smell her hot blood pulsing through her body, he could hear her heartbeat increase, and he could tell which points of her body were giving off the greatest scent of blood. It was mainly her wrists, where the blood flowed millimetres beneath the skin, and the right side of the neck, where a large artery was pumping away, sending oxygenated blood to the brain. Another spot was the quarter sized veins in her legs, which were a good place to slash open. You cut the main vein in a persons leg, and they will bleed to death in seconds.

InuYasha jumped forward once more, and grabbed the surprised woman around the throat. She gasped, and InuYasha started to squeeze, showing no mercy for this bitch that took Sango away from him.

His eyes widened as he remembered his love, and he loosened his grip, only slightly.

"Where is Sango?" He asked.

She glared at him, unwaveringly.

InuYasha growled loudly in disgust, yanking her close to his face.

"You are going to die, that is sure, but you can leave this world in two ways." He said. "You can tell me where Sango is, then I will kill you swiftly and painlessly."

She glared at him, knowing what was coming.

"Or," He continued, "You can hold your silence, and I will take you to a secluded place I know, where I will chain you up and it will take you weeks to die." He said. "Being a half breed, I've seen some pretty gruesome things, and if you want to experience having half your body rot away, and your flesh turn black and filled with maggots that eat you while you scream, while your heart still pumps vainly on, then tell me." He said. "I know a dozen ways to torture you, and believe me, once it's started, no amount of screaming Sango's location will save you." He said.

By now the girl was feeling real fear, and staring into InuYasha's emotionless eyes didn't help. She knew that he had no compassion or pity for her, she had crossed that line a while back when she had taken the girl. She was starting to think that it was a bad strategic move on her part, and she swallowed nervously when InuYasha's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Well?" He asked. "Speak up!"

She gulped, and hoped that her last ditch strategy worked.

"I'll tell you where she is, on one condition." She said. "You let me go."

InuYasha thought about it. It was her second attempt on his life, so if he let her go and she fled, she would have one more chance. However, if she resumed fighting, InuYasha could just kill her, and risk the chance that she told him the right location.

His grasp tightened, and he shook his head.

"You lead me to where she is, and then I let you go." He said.

She knew that she didn't have a choice in the matter, so she merely nodded.

"Agreed." She said, her turquoise colored eyes not betraying her cunning and planning.

InuYasha made her walk the short distance back to the village, and he was careful not to speak to her while he walked. He was not above consorting with the enemy, but it would be psychologically best for him to not talk to her right now. Sure he could chat her up, and maybe earn some compassion, which might or might not make her hesitate an extra half second in the next battle, earning him the time to kill her, but she stood more to gain from the talking than he. InuYasha was tired and worried about Sango, so the girl was probably alert, and could gain valuable information about his psyche and strategy from the conversation. It was best to keep quiet.

Once at the village, InuYasha led her into Kaede's cabin, who looked up at InuYasha with surprise, seeing his arm around her neck in an almost friendly, if not downright loose grasp.

"Who is this beautiful lady, InuYasha?" She asked. "And how goes the search for Sango's kidnapper?"

InuYasha stopped, and harshly kicked out the girls legs, kicking her right in the back of the kneecaps, so she dropped harshly to her knees.

"This is the bitch who took Sango." He said, "And she has kindly agreed to show me back to where Sango is being held." He said, "And I just need something to restrain her."

Kaede nodded, and walked into the back of the hut, searching around for a minute. InuYasha saw her move her neck a bit, and his reflexes kicked in just a split second before his brain did, and he grabbed her by the back of the neck, and pushed her down, forcing her head against the wooden floor.

"Don't move." He said, and she made a noise in her throat, not trusting her voice, and not permitting herself to try to nod.

Kaede came back a few minutes later with a tough strip of leather, and InuYasha hauled the girl up roughly by the neck. He knew that such anger and hostility wasn't nessecary against a defeated opponent, but she had taken Sango away from him, and until he knew she was safe, he was allowing her no comfort. Kaede wound the strip of leather loosely around her neck, and fashioned a loose collar, attaching a lead and handing it to InuYasha. InuYasha dropped it, and set his foot on it, preventing her from getting away. He reached toward the girls throat, and did up the collar tighter, making her wince as it tightened around her throat. He picked up the end, and gave it a tug, leading her out of the hut. She hung her head in shame as she walked alongside InuYasha, collared like an animal. InuYasha glared at her, and knew that she was the source of his current problems and worries. He walked her through the middle of town, letting her feel the embarrassment that used to plague him. She walked, head down, arms at her side, and never once said a word, or begged forgiveness.

"Lead, bitch." He said, and she started walking to the left, leading him to where Sango was.

"How far is it?" He asked, and she shrugged. "About a half hour walk." She said. InuYasha was silent, and continued walking, the leash tight in his hand. She was leading, which meant that she was walking in front of InuYasha, and he couldn't help but feel some pity for her. She was probably doing so well for herself until she crossed paths with him, and now here she was, reduced to a docile girl with a collar around her neck. InuYasha was tempted to set her free, for he knew what it was like to be collared, but he knew that Sango was more important.

They kept on walking, now going from flat terrain to slightly uphill terrain, bushes and shrubs appearing out of nowhere and coating the landscape. A small forest was visible up ahead.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and let her guide him, relaxing most of his muscles. The only tense muscle in his body was the hand that held the leash, in case she decided to make a break for it. As that thought entered his head, he inhaled deeply, and caught a whiff of her relaxed scent, and he knew that she wasn't going anywhere. He was slightly aware that he was thirsty after that fight, and his ears twitched as he heard running water. He gave a gentle tug on the leash, and she stopped, awaiting directions.

"We're heading in the direction of the water." He said, and she nodded, turning to the right and stumbling over a log. InuYasha pretended to not notice and waited until she had picked herself up and wiped herself off, before continuing. A few minutes later they came to a cold stream that ran down from the top of the hill that they were climbing. InuYasha tied the leash around a tree, and kneeled down on the edge of the water, lapping up small amounts of the cold clear liquid. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the girl trying to reach the edge of the bank, but the leash wasn't long enough. InuYasha discarded it, and continued drinking, letting her watch.

A few minutes later, he'd had his fill. He got up, wiped off his mouth, and untied her leash, pulling her away from the water. She reluctantly came, and stopped beside InuYasha, who was staring off into the distance with a weird look on his face. A few seconds later, he snapped out of his trance, and glared at her with some measure of thoughtfullness.

He said nothing, and led her over to the stream, motioning for her to take a drink. She hesitated a second, unsure if InuYasha was teasing her or not, and when he made to leave, she quickly dropped to her knees and scooped up the life-giving liquid with her hands, drinking it greedily. InuYasha let her drink her fill, knowing also what it was like to go days on end without a drink of clean water.

"Come on." He said softly, tugging gently on her leash. "I want to get to Sango as soon as possible."

She nodded, and started leading the way.

InuYasha watched the girl struggle up the hill, and he knew that he was restricting her breathing with how tightly he had tied the collar, so he once again tugged on it, getting her to stop. He stepped in front of her, and reached up toward her throat, making her flinch away as his claws came into focus.

She had thought he had caught wind of Sango's scent, and was now disposing of her now that he didn't need her. He smiled at her, and patted her shoulder, whispering for her to calm down.

She did, but still stared at him warily as his fingers fumbled with the collar at her throat. Purely by accident one of his claws scraped by her throat, and she whimpered, trembling as she tried to stay as still as possible for him, not knowing what he was doing.

InuYasha shushed her gently, and a few seconds later, the collar fell off. She took a deep breath, and stared at InuYasha, wondering what he had done.

"What was that for?" She asked softly, rubbing her slightly bruised neck.

InuYasha shrugged, and looked away.

"I remember what it was like to have a collar on." He said. "I didn't like it very much."

She smiled, and thanked him, recieving a blush in return. He gruffly ordered her to get moving, and she did so with new energy, now that the collar was removed. In less than ten minutes, they were at the cave nestled far into the hillside, hidden from prying eyes by the forest below, and the sheer height of where it was located.

She pointed inside the cage, and InuYasha almost walked in first, until he remembered himself. That was a good way to get tricked or stabbed. He motioned her in, and he walked in after her, always ready to make sure she didn't make a run for it.

She led him to the back of the cage, where Sango was up against the back wall of the cage, head hung, clearly sleeping or unconscious, arms spread out and shackled to the wall, ankles fastened securely to the wall also. InuYasha immediately forgot about the girl, and ran over to Sango's side, checking to see if she was okay, and if she had been abused or not. He dropped to his knees in front of her, and smashed the shackles holding her feet. He stood up, and gently raised her face so he could look at her, and was immediately relieved to see her unscarred, and apparently unhurt, just tired.

"Sango." He whispered, feeling the tension drain out of his body. She moaned, and her eyes fluttered as she awoke from her uncomfortable sleep, and as her eyes opened, she saw InuYasha.

She gasped. "InuYasha!" She said happily, trying to hug him. Unfortunately she was stopped by her shackles, and so she had to be content with InuYasha hugging her tightly.

"I'm so glad your okay." He said. He looked up to where the shackles held her against the wall, and he angrily slammed his fist against the left one, smashing it open and freeing her arm. He did the same to the right one, and she slowly lowed her arms, getting the feeling back into them little by little. She smiled, and hugged InuYasha, glad that he had come for her.

"Thank you InuYasha." She whispered, and InuYasha shook his head.

"I was so scared of losing you." He whispered, and she giggled, rubbing his back.

"It's okay, you will nev--" She was cut off as she saw the girl step into view behind InuYasha.

"InuYasha, I thought you killed her..."

InuYasha pulled away, and turned around, looking at the girl.

He smiled. "No, she was kind enough to lead me back to you, so she escapes with her life, for now." He said. "But next time she better watch out."

The girl nodded, and waved.

"See you soon InuYasha." She said, and with that, she jumped up into the air, dissappearing until next time.

InuYasha held Sango close for a few more minutes, before pulling away, sighing.

"Come on, let's get back to Kaede's." He said. "She could be back any time now, so we have to get out of here."

Sango agreed, and jumped onto his back, looking forward to the ride back home.


	26. Third Time's The Charm

Pure Anger 26.

InuYasha slowed to a walk as he neared the village, and suddenly, he stopped, making Sango nuzzle him in concern.

"What's wrong InuYasha?" She asked.

InuYasha set her down, and put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Concerned, she looked up at him, gasping slightly as she saw sunlight reflecting in his golden eyes, giving them a rich, vibrant colour, shimmering with excitement.

He looked down at her, and gave her a fanged grin.

"Isn't it beautiful, Sango?" He asked.

Sango tore her gaze from her beautiful hanyou, and looked out past the ploughed fields, to the distant sky, where the sun was just setting, touching the horizon and setting the sky ablaze with a multitude of colours, mainly a fiery red and a tinted pink, shot through with orange. The clouds seemed to be set on fire, and glowed with the warm sunlight hitting them from behind. Sango smiled, and laid her head on her hanyou's shoulder, putting her arm around his waist. She looked from the sky to the ground, just in time to catch some rapidly dissipating heat waves, making everything she looked at shimmer wildly.

"Makes you wonder why people bother to fight at all, eh?" She asked softly.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, while people are killing each other, they're really missing out on the good stuff." He said. Sango smiled, and touched his arm.

"Let's go, Kaede will want to know that I'm okay." She said. InuYasha took her hand, and squeezed it gently as he continued walking slowly into the village, heading for Kaede's hut.

As they passed by the centre of the village, a girl ran in front of InuYasha, surprising them both, and making InuYasha stop.

She bowed, and InuYasha grinned, recognising her from earlier.

"Hey." He said.

She smiled at him.

"I just saw you and remembered what you did for me, I'm here to say thank you from saving me from that bandit." She said. "Thank you, InuYasha!" She said. InuYasha smiled, and said nothing. She turned to Sango, and bowed also.

"Thank you too Sango-chan." She said, and Sango nodded.

"Your welcome." She said.

The girl then ran off again, dissappearing into a hut, and InuYasha and Sango continued on, walking into Kaede's hut. She was, predictably, sitting on the floor in the same place InuYasha had left her, sorting herbs and stems of various flowers, bundling them together and setting them off to the side.

"So ye are back, and ye have Sango with you." She observed, and InuYasha snorted, back to his arrogant self.

"Of course, hag, what were you expecting?" He asked.

Kaede shook her head slowly.

"Nothing less than that, InuYasha."

InuYasha sat down on the floor, and sighed, closing his eyes. He leaned back against the wall, and too late remembered the wound he had received from the girls surprise attack. He yelped, and everyone looked at him in surprise as he broke the evening silence. He winced, and took off his shirt, laying down on his stomach, ears twitching in irritation. Sango gasped at his wound, stretching from neck to waist, but didn't know what she could do about it. She continued to stare at him in sympathy, until Kaede nudged her gently. Sango turned to look at her, and saw that she was holding out a large leaf to her. Sango took it, and instantly knew what it was. She slipped a dagger out of her waistband, and slit the side of the leaf open, revealing the creamy seethrough liquid inside. She took a tiny clay cup from Kaede and squeezed the contents of the leaf into the cup, getting a good amount from the leaf. She carefully took the cup, and placed it close to the embers of the dying fire, waiting a few minutes until it was warm.

InuYasha was laying on his stomach, beside her, but his head was turned toward the wall, away from her. She knew that there was a good chance that he didn't know what she was doing. She reached for the cup, and suddenly felt the drain of todays events, pulling all her energy out of her body. She sighed, and figured she should retire after this. Even Kaede was slowing down. InuYasha, if she didn't know better, she would say he was sleeping also, but she knew that he would never sleep while he had such a wound, and that they were still being hunted by that woman. The evening, and the warmth from the dying fire, and the golden rays coming in through the half open door was getting to them all, making them sleepy. Sango dipped a finger in the liquid, and nodded, satisfied. It was warm, but not hot to the touch, and it had gotten to the consistency of gel, or syrup. She moved over to InuYasha, and placed her hands on his back, careful to avoid the wound. She bent down over him, and kissed his cheek.

"Does the cut hurt?" She asked.

InuYasha shook his head. "What do you think?" He asked. "A tiny slash like that wouldn't hurt me!"

She smiled at his arrogance and pride.

"Oh, well, then I guess I don't need to worry about you then." She said. "Your fine, I don't know what I was thinking when I wanted to give you a back rub."

InuYasha was silent for a second, then gave in, really wanting his back rubbed.

"Well, it hurts a little bit." He conceded. Sango smirked. "Only a little bit?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded. "Honest truth, it only hurts a little bit." He said. "It's a bit of a stinging sensation, that's it." He said. Sango nodded. "Okay, I believe you." She said.

InuYasha sighed. "Actually, it worries me." He said.

Sango stopped, her hands on his waist.

"Why?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged, then winced as the motion hurt his back.

"I'm a half demon right now, I shouldn't even feel that." He said. Sango pondered that for a second, then shrugged. "Maybe your stamina just isn't that great today." She said.

"Maybe..." He said, not buying it.

Sango took a cloth, and dipped it in a bucket of warm water that Kaede set by her side. Sango could feel her knees getting sore, so she instead straddled InuYasha's hips, resting most of her weight on his bum, leaving his back free to clean. She started wiping off the dried blood, revealing a cut that was thinner than they both expected. The dried blood made it look wider, but as she continued to wipe, she found out that it might be thinner, but it was definitely longer. She continued to clean it, until all the blood was gone. Then she started rubbing his back, mindful of his cut. A few minutes later, when she heard him purring softly in his throat, eyes closed, she knew to move on to the next stage. She dipped her fingers into the small cup of heated semi-thick liquid, and started applying it to his cut, working it into the cut and the skin around it. Once she did that, she took another cup that Kaede offered her, and took a pinch of the ground up herb in it, sprinking it along the cut. She set the cup down, and continued rubbing, working the gel and herb into his skin. The gel was one that Kagome had often said was still used in the future, just in a more concentrated form. She said that they called it Aloe Vera, or something like that. Since it was heated, it gave his back a warm feeling, helping relax any tense muscles, while the gel soothed his cut, and helping the skin around it. The herb she had mixed in with it, she was too tired to remember it's name, but it was one she used a lot. It dulled the nerves, and reduced any pain that was felt.

She continued to do this down the whole length of the cut, until eventually, InuYasha _was_ sleeping. Sango smiled, and leaned over him, kissing him on the cheek. She was about to get off him, when something caught her eye. She looked again, and noticed that his hair was slowly turning black. Her eyes widened, and it all came together for her. InuYasha complained that there was pain, when there shouldn't be, and now here he was, falling asleep when she knew that he would never do that while injured. She knew that his body was turning back into a human for the night, and that his human body couldn't take the stresses that his demon body could. She looked around, and grabbed her sword, pulling it close. She didn't know if she would need it, but InuYasha always protected her when she was weak, and now it was time to return the favor.

Kaede looked up at her as Sango reached across to pull her sword close, and eyed her cautiously.

"What is it, Sango?" She asked.

Sango's brown eyes flickered in light from the remnants of the fire, and Kaede could see the uncertainty there.

"InuYasha just turned human, and that woman is still out looking for us, to try to kill InuYasha." She said. Kaede looked at the sleeping InuYasha, and noticed that his hair was indeed black, and he was missing his dog-like ears. If she could see his face, she was sure that his fangs were gone, and his eyes had changed from their enticing gold, to their beautiful violet colour.

Sango shrugged, and got off him, moving around him, and sitting against the wall that he was facing, letting her get a look at his face. He was still sleeping, his breathing even and slow. Just looking at him sleep so peacefully made her want to lay down beside him and fall asleep too, but she couldn't. She had to make sure he was safe until morning, when he could change back into a full demon.

She kept her mind on that, and she lasted a couple hours, well past when Kaede retired for the night. Sango could feel her eyes drifting closed, and for a second, everything was dark, until InuYasha flitted through her mind, and she jerked herself awake, looking around to see if everyone was okay.

She calmed down, and stared at the sleeping InuYasha, and for a second, her tired mind realized that right now, she knew she had InuYasha's heart. If there was any way he could show her that he loved her, it was to be defenseless, sleeping, and human in front of her, all of the things that he hated the most. She smiled, and knew that she loved InuYasha, and nothing would ever change that...

_Bam!_

Sango was awakened by the front door being kicked down, and despite having just woken up, a surge of adrenaline hit her, and she jumped to her feet, drawing her sword. As soon as she did so, it was knocked out of her hand, clattering to the floor. Sango put her hands up in front of her, wondering who or what was attacking her. She couldn't see anything, and her eyes wouldn't adjust to the darkness for at least another thirty seconds. She cursed, and started swinging randomly, hoping to hit whoever was in their cabin. She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned around, swinging her fist in that direction. As soon as she did, she heard three rapid thumping sounds behind her, and then her head exploded in a flash of white light as something hit her in the back of the head, making her drop to the floor, dazed.

She cursed, and rolled over, her eyes still not used to the darkness. She could, however, now make out faint shapes and outlines, and her heartbeat increased as she saw one shape throw something down toward a shape on the ground, then a sick splattering sound. Sango's heart skipped a beat, and her throat was suddenly dry. She tried to get up, but stopped, grimacing as her head started aching. She touched the back of her head, and her fingers came away wet, with blood. She moaned, and tried to focus on what was happening now.

The standing figure leaned down, and picked up the figure on the floor. For a second, everything was silent, clothes stopped rustling, breathing was light, and no footsteps were taken, but Sango still managed to hear the most sickening sound in the world. The splattering of blood. She saw it dripping off the limp figure in an almost steady stream, and she felt herself crying, knowing that it was InuYasha. For a second, everything slowed down as Sango watched in horror, the figure grabbing what Sango thought was InuYasha, the blood dripping off the limp figure, and then time exploded. Sango winced as her head ached again, and she tried to stand as she heard three more extremely loud thumping sounds, then everything was silent. Sango scrambled to her knees, groping around in the darkness for her sword. She cursed, then found it a second later, picking it up and heaving herself to her feet. She hesitated just a second, to let a dizzy spell pass, and that's when she heard it. She heard the sharp metallic sound of a sword being drawn, then a half second later, the sound that Sango had had nightmares over. The sound of a sword slicing through flesh. Sango heard a light spraying sound, a strangled groan, then nothing. A second later, there was a final thump, as something dropped onto the ground, then silence, and Sango's hands started to tremble, as she realized that InuYasha had just been the victim of a deadly and vicious assassination. She fell to the ground, dropping her sword once more, and started crying, not wanting to go out there and see InuYasha's dead human body lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. A few seconds later, the fire was restoked, and Kaede's scared voice rang out throughout the still dark cabin.

"Sango, are ye wounded?" She asked.

Sango shook her head, then realized that Kaede probably wouldn't see that.

"N-no." She said, still feeling the tears rolling down her cheeks. She reached up to wipe them away, and cursed her trembling hands. She berated herself for falling asleep and leaving themselves open to attack. She cursed again, and Kaede appeared, walking into the dim circle of light that the fire threw out.

"Where is InuYasha?" She asked.

Sango shook her head, afraid to answer that.

"I don't know." She said.

From what she had heard and seen, she was pretty sure that he had died, but she wasn't totally sure, so she wasn't going to condemn him. At least, not in front of Kaede.

Kaede was silent for a minute, then set the lantern down.

"I heard it all." She said. "Do you want to go outside to check if InuYasha is dead, or shall I?" She asked.

Sango felt a shot of adrenaline spike through her, and knew that if someone as old as Kaede, with as much experience thought that InuYasha was also dead, then she knew that it must be true. Still not believing it, she said she would check, and she picked up her sword. By now, her warriors training was starting to take over, and she was disregarding InuYasha's death as a personal experience, and her mind was trying to get her into a combat zone. Even as this was happening, and she knew it was happinging, she knew that she would feel so much worse when she finally saw what she knew she would see out there. She took a step outside the cabin, and saw one patch of ground darker than the rest. She swallowed her nervousness, and knew that she had to start searching for a body now. She first bent down, and touched the dark spot, reaffirming that it was indeed blood. She felt her legs start shaking, and it finally registered in her mind that this could be the blood of the one she loved, and that she might never see her hanyou alive again. She felt the tears coming, but this time was able to hold them back, more training than anything else. Tears were known to ruin vision, and if you couldn't see, then you couldn't attack. Demon slayers were taught to resist tears at all times.

She walked further outside, and realized that her back was completely open. She spun around, sword ready, as her now fully adjusted eyes scanned the dark night for signs of someone lingering close. Her eyes paid special attention to the real dark corners of the village, knowing that anything could be hiding between the cabins. She spun around again, and this time she shivered. She could feel a pair of eyes on her, and she knew she was being watched.

Now knowing that she could be struck dead at any time, it was a race between Sango and her fight in locating her enemy, and the enemy and how quickly they could ready a weapon for striking without giving away their position. Sango tightened her grip on her katana, as her mind raced, her eyes scanning every dark corner of the village.

_Where can the enemy be? If I can't see inside the dark corners of the cabins, then they would have equal difficulty seeing me, so that means that it's an obvious place that I haven't checked...and the only obvious places are close places, since darkness limits sight and range..._

She froze, then slowly turned around, raising her eyes to the top of Kaede's hut. As surely as she knew her enemy was there, she saw the outline of a shape, sitting on top and just waiting there. Sango took a step back, and wondered who it was. What it was.

It was just sitting there, watching her. It knew who she was, and where she was, obviously, so the main question was, why wasn't it killing her?

She blinked, and refocused on the spot where the person was, only to find that it was gone. She felt a nervous sweat form on her forehead, and she turned around, once again scanning the dark night air for signs of the enemy. She saw none, and turned around, bumping into a chest. She started to scream, but the figure beat her to it, clamping a hand over her mouth. She felt herself starting to panic, and she started kicking, making the figure jump about, dodging her kicks.

"Sango, dammit, stop!" The figure whispered, and Sango immediately stopped, recognising the voice.

"InuYasha?" She asked.

The figure nodded, and she barely made out the movement.

"Yeah, but we gotta stop talking, in case the enemy is near." He said. Sango grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the hut, near the now roaring fire, needing to see that it was really him, and that he was safe.

She looked at him, and saw with relief that it was indeed him, but he was bleeding from what appeared to be a stab wound. Sango shook her head, and leaned in close, whispering in his weak human ear.

"What happened?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged. "I heard the door slam open, so I woke up, and my weak human eyes didn't adjust to the dark that quick, and my weak human ears didn't tell me much either, but I'm pretty sure that the person knocked your sword out of your hands, for you were up quicker than I was, then I stood up behind you, and started walking around with my hands out, wondering where everyone was, then I felt your fist swing by my face with about half an inch to spare, then I heard three slamming sounds, then suddenly you went flying by me onto the ground. I was about to help you up, when something hit me, and knocked me back down. Then the attacker threw something at me, and it went through by back, slicing up the great work you did a couple hours before, then someone grabbed me by the back of my haori, and hauled me up. Blood started pouring out of the wound, and I was forced outside, where I heard a sword being drawn." InuYasha stopped, and took a deep breath, steadying himself.

Sango waited patiently for him to continue, and when he did, his voice was more strained than it was last time.

"I was still disoriented from sleep, which is what the assassin was going for, and I didn't react in time." He said. "I took a sword thrust through the stomach, and my weak human body immediately started spilling it's blood all over the place." He said.

Sango looked down, and saw that there was a large circle on the front of his haori, that was darker than the rest, presumably blood. She shook her head, and waited for him to continue.

He was silent for a second, and Sango could hear his breathing getting ragged.

"I finally came to my senses, and punched the attacker in the face, which must have done some damage because they sort of moaned, then let go of me, and dissappeared. When they let go of me, I fell to the ground, in pain, but after a few seconds, I got back up." He said. "I then climbed up onto the roof to get a better look around, then noticed someone walk out of the cabin." He said. "At first I wasn't sure who it was, so when you looked up at me, I just stayed still, and hoped that you wouldn't notice me." He said. "So when you turned around again, I jumped down, and got close enough to see who it was."

Sango hugged him tightly, and he coughed.

Sango pulled away, and looked at him worriedly.

"Are you okay, InuYasha?" She asked. She got no answer as InuYasha slowly backed up against the wall, hitting it, and sliding down it, into a sitting position.

She moved swiftly over to his side, and kneeled down beside him, tilting his head toward hers.

"InuYasha!" She said frantically. "Are you okay!?"

No answer.

Sango, now thoroughly worried, began to take off his haori, to see the extent of his wounds. A few seconds later, InuYasha's breathing resumed, and that's when she realized that he hadn't been breathing for the last thirty seconds. She shook her head, and then InuYasha spoke.

"Sorry for worrying you, Sango." He said softly. "I was just holding my breath for a second, because if I didn't, the sharp pain in my stomach that I felt would have made me scream." He said.

Sango sighed, and hugged him tight, knowing that she came very close to losing him tonight. She hugged him, then remembered something important.

"Do you think the attacker noticed that you were human?" She asked.

InuYasha's eyes widened in alarm, then narrowed in anger.

"If so, then they will die before they have a chance to spread that knowledge." He said. "Or use it against me."

Sango looked out the open cabin door, and stared out into the dark night, not knowing that someone was staring back at her.

"How many hours left until dawn?" She asked.

Kaede sat down, and stoked the fire. "That's where their plan was flawed." She said. "They waited until a half hour before dawn, thinking that we'd be most asleep at that hour." She said. "In a way they were right, because most attacks happen around six hours after the sun sets, yet she waited for almost eight hours." She said. "What the attacker didn't consider was the event that their plan would fail, and they left themselves no room for a second attack."

InuYasha grinned, and clutched his temporarily useless sword to his chest.

"The only second attack that will be happening is our attack." He said. "As soon as it's light out, these wounds will be nothing, and I'll go slay her."

"Her?" Sango asked.

InuYasha grimaced.

"When you think about it, it's pretty obvious who it was." He said. "That person that had three chances to kill me." He said.

Sango nodded. "Damn, I was so screwed up during the attack I totally forgot about her." She said.

InuYasha grimaced, and clutched the wound in his stomach. "She didn't forget about us, apparently." He said.  
Sango looked at him.

"Question is, where's this supposed demon that will come for her now that she failed three times to kill you?" She asked.

As if waiting for a formal introduction, they all heard a demon roaring in the distance, followed a few seconds later by cries of "Demon!" from the villagers.


	27. A New Journey's Beginning

Pure Anger 27.

A New Journey's Beginning, Part 1.

InuYasha listened to the demon roaring, and cursed, wishing that he was back to his normal form, so he could kill it. Sango looked fearfully out the door, before getting an idea. She quickly picked her sword up off the floor, and slid it into her scabbard. She grabbed Hiraikotsu, and earned a questioning look from both InuYasha and Kaede.

"I'm going to go hold off the demon, and prevent it from destroying the village, buying InuYasha time until the sun rises, and he becomes a hanyou again, so he can come slay the demon, if I haven't already." She said, talking fast, preparing to leave.

InuYasha thought about it, then knew he had no choice but to let her go.

He nodded. "Okay."

Sango smiled at him as she walked to the door.

"Be back in a few minutes, InuYasha." She said, and with that, she was gone.

InuYasha stared at the suddenly empty doorway, and wished that he wasn't a weak human right now. If anything happened to Sango, he couldn't help her in the slightest.

He sighed, grumbled ineffectually, and leaned back against the wall, knowing that there was nothing to do now except wait and have faith in Sango.

Sango ran in the direction the villagers pointed, and as she cleared the last few village huts, she saw a wolf-type demon crouching in the shadows near one of the huts on the outer edge of the village, it's eyes glowing a strange pale yellow. It roared again, and it was obvious that it was no ordinary wolf. Sango, about twenty meters from the demon, crouched down behind one of the huts that was across from it. She watched the demon, for it wasn't attacking anyone. A few seconds later, a figure dashed out of the shadows, running toward the demon. As the figure neared it, it dropped to it's knees, skidding to a stop in front of the demon. Sango watched, facinated, as the demon reached out, placing both furry front paws on the ground in front of the figure, stretching out, and lowering it's stomach to the dirt, head down low. To Sango it almost looked like it was bowing, but she knew that it couldn't be doing that...could it?

She shook her head, and continued to watch. A few seconds later, a pale yellow glowing circle appeared, on the ground around the lone figure in front of the demon. Sango stared, and recognised the symbol as one of the infinite spirals that had been on the girl assassins shoulders. She watched, facinated, as a tiny crack of darkness appeared in the infinite spiral, growing until the spiral was split open, exploding in a burst of pale yellow light, dissipating. Sango shielded her eyes from the light explosion, and watched again as another spiral appeared, then broke and exploded. Sango remembered that the girl had two spirals, as well as one long line down her stomach, and three across it.

Sango watched, as one by one the short, medium, and long lines appeared on the ground, subsequently cracking and exploding in a pale burst of light. Sango crept forward, getting closer, eager to see what would happen next.

A few seconds later, the wolf demon straightened up, and took a few tentative steps closer to the figure on the ground, who Sango now suspected was the female that had attacked InuYasha.

The wolf demon started sniffing at the figure, and it seemed that the figure tensed up. Sango thought she had an idea of what was coming next.

Suddenly, a gutteral growl was heard, and it took Sango a few seconds to realize that it emanated from the demon.

"Three tries, one bond, infinite time and energy."  
The figure nodded.

"You have failed your end of the bargain."

The figure nodded again.

"The consequence is death."

The figure nodded one final time, and the demon reared back on it's hind legs, raising it's front paws into the air. A second later, long sharp claws sliced out, extending six inches from the furry paws. The demon hesitated for just a second, gathering power in it's arm, until it released, bringing it's claws slicing down toward the figure, who knelt in the dirt, waiting for the end.

Sango dashed forward, and jumped into the air. At first she was worried that she had misjudged the demons speed, and was going to be too late, but everything turned out fine as Sango's foot came down on the figures shoulder, just as she had planned.

Sango kicked off, pushing the surprised figure over, the hood falling off. Sango didn't see it then, but she would eventually come to realize that she was right in assuming that it was the female.

She kicked off the girl, pushing her out of the way of the demons deadly claws, and as she reached the top of her height from the jump, she drew her katana. She unslung Hiraikotsu from her shoulder, spinning it around a few times, working up momentum, before slinging the weapon down toward the demon. It sliced through the air, but the demon was quick enough to duck it. Sango smirked, and as she fell from the sky, she brought her sword slashing down on the demon, gashing his right arm, cutting it deep. The demon roared, and Sango caught her returning Hiraikotsu, glad that she was able to do this fight. She hadn't fought in a while, and it felt good. She returned Hiraikotsu to her back, and ran toward the demon, ducking down low as the demon tried to attack her face. As his paw swung over her head, his claws making a slight noise as they cut through the air, Sango retaliated with a slash of her own, drawing blood as her sword cut across the chest of the wolf demon.

Suddenly, someone was beside Sango, and she looked over in surprise to see the girl staring at her.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked.

Sango pushed the girl down, and ducked also as the demon tried swiping at them again.

"I'm not helping you, I'm protecting my village and my hanyou." She said.

The girl looked at her puzzled. "But you didn't let the demon kill me." She said.

Sango shrugged. "It's all tactics." She said.

The girl shrugged. "What do you mean?"

Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu, and threw it hard at the demon, not really expecting to his such a small and nimble target, but liking the distraction time it bought.

"Well, the demon has to kill you before it can go after InuYasha, so as long as I keep you alive, he will have to keep trying to kill you, before he can go after InuYasha." She said.

The girl nodded. "I see." She said carefully.

Sango blinked some sweat out of her eyes, and sheathed her sword.

"Yeah, so all I have to do is either keep you alive a few minutes longer, or keep this thing away from the village for a few minutes, then I'm good." She said.

"Wha--" She was cut off as Sango tackled her bodily, throwing her to the ground and landing on top of her, covering the girls body as the demons claw slammed into the ground, right where they had been standing half a second before. Sango protected the girls face and eyes from the dirt that was thrown up into the air, and as soon as it was clear, she was up, pulling the girl with her. As she stood, she realized that the sky was slowly lightening, the suns first rays streaking across the sky. The sun hadn't risen yet, but it's first rays were now visible. They started running, and a few seconds later, the wolf demon gave chase. Sango looked behind herself, and saw that the demon, being a wolf, was having absolutely no trouble keeping up, she she once again pushed the girl to the side, and skidded to a stop, drawing her sword. As she turned, the wolf demon tackled her to the ground, and her sword was knocked out of her hand, skidding into the dirt. The wolf snarled at her, and Sango tried vainly to push the heavy animal off her. As the demon opened it's mouth and lowered it's fangs to Sango's throat, there was a short burst of laughter, making the demon stop.

Sango looked to where the laughter was coming from, and gasped as she saw a human InuYasha, walking toward the ruckus, in plain view of everyone. He was leaning heavily on his sword, and he stopped a couple meters away from the demon. Sango, despite her position, watched him worriedly, wondering how he was even able to stand right now, and why he was out in front of everyone as a human.

"Your pathetic." InuYasha sneered.

The demon growled, and got off Sango, turning to face InuYasha.

"Who are you to insult me?" The wolf asked, it's words barely understandable.

"Well, I'm stronger than you, so of course I can insult you." He said.

The demon growled again.

"You, a weak human, believe you are stronger than me, a demon?" He asked.

InuYasha was about to reply, when the demon took a step forward.

"Enough talk!" He growled. "Just prove it."

InuYasha stood there, grinning at the demon.

"Don't you gotta kill the person that failed to kill me first?" He asked. The demon hesitated, then the claws once again slid out.

"InuYasha..." The demon said, his voice dripping with disgust and anger.

"Yeah, that's me." He said, non-chalantly.

The demon eyed him for a second, then turned to where Sango was picking herself up off the ground.

The wolf demon stared at her for a second, then dismissed her, moving over to where the girl was crouched on the ground.

"Death awaits you." The demon said, before raising his claw again. With that, he brought his claws slicing down toward the girl, blood spraying everywhere as his claws sliced into soft flesh.

As the sun rose over the distant mountains, InuYasha could feel some of his old strength coming back. He grinned as he felt his wounds fading, and he started running toward the demon, his feet pounding softly against the dirt. He saw the demon bring his claw down, and he jumped, reaching out toward the demon. He saw fear flickering right alongside acceptance and defeat in the girls eyes, and he watched it change to confusion as he jumped in front of her. The demons claws sliced into his stomach, gouging out long bloody scratch marks, and Sango gasped, seeing the cuts, and his black hair, thinking he was still human.

InuYasha merely grinned, and drew his sword, transforming it into the fang, even as his hair was still black, and his eyes violet. The sun rose a bit higher over the mountain, and InuYasha's hair started bleaching silver. The demon growled as InuYasha's scent changed, confusing him.

"Bye bye demon asshole." InuYasha said, before launching himself forward, bringing his sword slashing down toward the demon. In an instant, the demon was pulverized by the heavy blade, and only a bloody patch of ground and a dying echoing growl was left of what the demon used to be.  
InuYasha sheathed his sword, as his hair finished changing, and he blinked, his eyes going from a deep violet to gold, and he grinned at Sango, revealing his sharp fangs.

"That demon was a pushover." He said, and Sango couldn't help but smile at his cocky attitude.

"What do we do about her?" Sango asked, pointing at the girl behind him.

InuYasha looked, and saw the girl raising herself up off the ground, straightening her clothes, and dusting herself off.

InuYasha walked over to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. She nodded, and looked at him, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." She said.

InuYasha nodded sagely, then swiftly kicked her in the shin, making her drop to the ground, yelling in pain.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" She asked, rocking back and forth and grabbing her shin.

InuYasha glared at her. "For doing absolutely piss all in the battle!" He said. She glared right back at him.

"Bastard." She said.

"Bitch." He replied.

"Dog." She said viciously.

"Tramp." He retorted.

"Whore!" She said.

"You wish." He snorted.

"Shut up!!" She yelled.

"Fuck you." He said, crossing his arms, turning away from her.

"..."

"..."

"Thanks." She said softly, meaning the battle with the wolf.

"Your welcome." He said, knowing what she meant.

He turned around, and offered her his hand, helping her up. As she stood, she put her leg down, then winced.

InuYasha rolled his eyes.

"Oh my God, get over it, it can't hurt that badly, your a damn warrior!" He said. She shook her head, sitting back down, and looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, and InuYasha started panicking. She had _that_ tone of voice, the one only a girl could use, that told a guy she was about to cry.

"No no!!" He said, kneeling down in front of her. "D-don't cry!" He said. "Please!"

She sniffed, and InuYasha looked at Sango for help. She shrugged. "Your on your own, InuYasha." She said, barely concealing a grin at the helpless look on his face.

InuYasha sighed.

"Look, I didn't mean it, is there any way that I can make it up to you?" He asked.

She waited a few seconds before looking up at him, making him believe that she was fighting back her tears. But really, she was trying to hide her smile.

"W-well, you can carry me back to your camp." She said.

InuYasha hesitated, then looked at Sango.

"Why not?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded, then turned around, leaning forward and putting his hands on the ground to steady himself.

"Climb on." He sighed, and a few seconds later, he felt her leaning against him, her arms around his neck.

He grabbed her legs, and stood up, making sure that she was comfortable, before starting to walk. He looked at the ground, and wondered about the battle he had just fought. It was surprisingly easy to defeat that demon, when supposedly, it could grant anyone infinite energy and all that other stuff. He thought about it for a few more minutes, then shrugged, forgetting he was carrying someone.

The girl on his back moaned softly when he shrugged, and he stopped, wondering what she was doing. Surely she knew that he heard that! He started blushing, and knew that it wasn't a moan of pain that he had just heard. He turned his mind away from such thoughts, and tried to come up with something to change the subject.

"So, uh, what's your name, anyway?" He asked.

Silence.

InuYasha could feel her head resting on his left shoulder, and he tilted his head a bit, to see what she was doing. She was staying pretty quiet after that moan...

Eh?" He asked, looking forward again. He hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of her face, for when he moved, she had turned her face in toward his neck, nuzzling him gently.

Sango patted his shoulder.

"Shush babe, she's sleeping." She said, and InuYasha nodded.

"Oh, ok." He said. That sure explained a few things. He smiled, as their hut came into sight, with Kaede standing out in front of it, greeting the new day, and the endless work that it would bring. Sango waved, and ran ahead of InuYasha, going to talk to Kaede about what had happened. InuYasha smiled, and took his time, not wanting to wake the girl on his back.

A New Journey's Beginning, Part 2.

InuYasha set the girl down gently on the fabric that Sango had laid out, and he sat down, exhausted. He might be a half demon now, but transforming was still energy consuming business, and he wouldn't be back to full strength until tomorrow. Sango sat down beside him, and stared at the strange girl. She had lost her cloak type thing when Sango had tackled her, the grey thing she was wearing that had a hood on it. Now she was clad only in her knee length cut off black hakama, and her tight black shirt was slightly ruffled, and the way InuYasha had set her down, her shirt had ridden up a bit. revealing a tiny section of her smooth, flat stomach. Her hair wasn't in it's ponytail, and was now hanging down much like InuYasha's was, her silky black hair strewn all about her hips as she laid down, eyes closed. InuYasha, as much fun as he was having watching her sleep, wanted her to wake up so they could get down to business, and set things straight.

Minutes passed.

InuYasha started tapping his hand impatiently against his knee, willing her to wake up.

She didn't.

He started growling softly, and Sango put up with it for few minutes, before sighing. She placed her hand over his, stopping his tapping, and she leaned over, kissing him on the lips, silencing his growl.

InuYasha closed his eyes, and returned the kiss.

A few seconds later, Sango pulled away, smiling at him.

"Patience, dear, she will awake when she will, and not a moment before." She said.

InuYasha nodded, and sighed, laying down. A few seconds later, Sango joined him, and soon, all three of them were sleeping the morning away.

A few hours later...

InuYasha was awoken to the sound of soft mumbling, and he groaned, rolling onto his stomach, stretching out, squeezing his eyes closed against the intruding mid-morning sun. He felt his body slowly awaken, and his left hand, which was numb from being behind his head for the last hour, tingled like mad as feeling slowly started returning. InuYasha yawned, then tilted his head to the side, relaxing again. If he was lucky, he could sleep for another few minutes...

Smack!

InuYasha was jolted awake as Sango slapped him on his ass, and he swiftly rolled over onto his back, looking around confusedly. As the bright light attacked his pupils, he was blinded by glare, and couldn't see anything. He moved out of the warm patch of sunlight that was streaming in through the open door, heating the small patch of floor that he was laying on. He opened his eyes, and glared at Sango, who was laughing.

"What was that for?" InuYasha asked.

Sango giggled, and shook her head at him.

"Here you were getting all worked up because Keiran wouldn't wake up, then you go and fall asleep and sleep longer than both of us!" Sango laughed.

InuYasha yawned, and looked at Sango, confused.

"Keiran?" He asked. Sango pointed across from her, at the female assassin. InuYasha stared at her for a second, then realized who he was looking at.

"Ahh, so that's your name." He said. She nodded, and moved from a kneeling position to a cross-legged position. InuYasha looked at Sango.

"What do we do with her?" He asked.

Keiran glared at him.

"That's rude!" She exclaimed, and InuYasha was surprised at how feminine her voice could be when she wasn't trying to kill him. "I'm right here, don't talk about me like I'm not!" She said.

"She's slightly annoying too." He added, making Sango giggle as Keiran's face turned red.

"Youuuuuu...BITCH!!" She picked up a bowl that had earlier contained rice, and hurled it at InuYasha.

InuYasha, now laughing too hard to react, took the shot straight in the face, knocking him over backwards, effectively shutting him up as stars exploded inside his head, confusing him terribly. Sango looked at Keiran and smiled.

"Don't let him get to you, as soon as he realizes that it doesn't bother you, he'll stop." She said.

Keiran nodded slowly. "Sooo..." She said, as InuYasha straightened up. "Basically your saying that InuYasha is like a child, so therefore should be treated like one."

Sango nodded. "Yeah, pretty much." She said.

"How do you put up with him?" She asked.

InuYasha sat up and glared at her. "I'm right here you know, you shouldn't ask stuff like that."

Keiran smiled at Sango.

"Looks like someone isn't too open to a taste of their own medicine." She said, and Sango smiled knowingly.

"Oh yes, he can be very troublesome at times, but over all, he's really easy to handle."

InuYasha realized that they were discussing him like he wasn't even there, and he pouted as he considered his wrong.

"Okay, I get it, I won't do it again." He grumbled. "Now can you guys include me in your conversations?" He asked.

Sango shrugged.

"Try to get along with her, InuYasha." She said. InuYasha shrugged right back.

"Yeah, I'll get along with her fine, as long as she doesn't bug me." He said.

Keiran glared at him.

"You know, I really don't like you!" She said.

InuYasha hummed.

"Oh well, not my problem." He said. "Deal with it bitch."

Keiran launched herself off the floor, and tackled InuYasha to the floor, straddling his chest. She started beating on his chest, punch after punch, and it was only when InuYasha started having breathing problems, and was squeezing his eyes shut tightly, a look of pain on his face, that she stopped, wondering if she hurt him. A few seconds later, InuYasha cracked open a beautiful golden eye, to stare at her.

She stared back, and folded her arms across her chest, leaning forward over him.

Suddenly, InuYasha's face flushed red, and he looked away, biting his lip. Keiran, having forgotten why she was hitting him in the first place, leaned over him to make sure he was okay.

"A-Are you okay?" She asked timidly. "Did I hurt you?"

It was at that question that InuYasha couldn't hold himself any longer. He burst out laughing, his chest heaving as he gulped huge breaths of air, talking in broken sentences.

"AHAHAHAHA, you-HAHAHA- you hit, hehehe, you hit like a girl!" He insulted her, and continued laughing, grabbing his stomach.

Keiran snapped.

"YOU WHORE!" She yelled, and grabbed the front of his shirt. Before InuYasha knew what was happening, Keiran drew back her fist, and pulled InuYasha toward her as she punched him in the face as hard as she could. InuYasha stopped laughing, and his eyes went wide as her fist made contact with his mouth, and his upper fang split open his lip, blood splashing all over her fingers. She gasped, and covered her mouth with her hands, as InuYasha tentatively touched his lip.

He looked at her, and for a second, fear flashed through her body, her heart rate increasing, and adrenaline spiking through her system, fearing that he would strike her back hard. He continued to stare, then he smiled.

"Looks like your not so weak after all." He said. "I was wondering when you would show me some strength."

She felt relief flood her body, then she realized that she was still straddling his hips. She got off him, and took his hand, pulling him up into a sitting position. InuYasha winced, and licked his lip, feeling blood running down his chin. She stammered her apology, and saw Sango approaching with a wet cloth.

"M-may I?" She asked Sango. "Seeing as I'm the one who made the mess, it's only appropriate if I clean it." She said, and Sango smiled, handing her the cloth. She scooted closer to InuYasha, and folded the cloth, reaching forward. She gently dabbed the corner on his split lip, and cringed when he winced. She kept going, until most of the blood was soaked up, then wiped off his chin and right cheek.

"S-sorry InuYasha." She said, and InuYasha nodded.

"Guess I gotta be careful when I tease you from now on." He grumbled playfully, then took the cloth from her. He unfolded it, then folded it the opposite way, so that the surface was clean and free of blood, before gently reaching toward her. He carefully tilted her head toward him, and wiped off her nose, where blood had gotten on her fingertips, and she then covered her mouth and nose out of shock. He grinned to himself as he worked, his thoughts and feelings private about what he thought of Keiran.

Sango grinned as he wiped off her nose and cheek, and shook her head.

"Looks like you found someone who can beat you up." She said.

InuYasha made a face. "I found her, but your the one who brought her home and sicced her on me." He said.

Sango laughed. "Hey, I had absolutely nothing to do with this, you got _yourself_ into that fight." She said.

InuYasha shrugged, and tossed the rag into the bucket of water.

"Same thing." He said. He flicked some of his silver hair back over his shoulder, then looked at Sango. "So why was that demon so weak?" He asked, leaning over and giving Keiran a playful shove.

Sango blinked. "I'm not sure." She said.

Keiran, now on her back on the floor, giggled, and sat up, looking at Sango. Sango was temporarily entranced by Keirans pure black eyes, before catching herself, as Keiran spoke.

"The reason it was weak, was because I took this from it." She said, reaching into a pocket in the front of her pants, and withdrawing something clutched tight in her fist. Sango leaned forward to see what it was, and when Keiran opened her fist, both her and InuYasha were not surprised to see what was in her hand.

"A damn jewel shard." InuYasha said flatly. "Pity, I was hoping to never see the things again." He said. Sango swallowed, as the glowing shard brought up some memories that were better left forgotten. She let them take her on a guilt trip, but only for a second, this time calling upon the willpower she used to have, that she lost a few months ago. She shut the memories away, and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Well InuYasha," She said. "We put off finding them long enough." She said. "Shall we begin the hunt for them?" She asked.

InuYasha looked at her, and was silent for a few minutes, as Keiran looked back and forth between them, looking confused.

"It will take a while to gather them all, your aware of that, right?" He asked.

Sango nodded. "Yeah, but we couldn't have been given a clearer sign." She said. "We should start looking soon."

InuYasha slid his gaze from Sango's beautiful face, to the gleaming shard in Keirans palm, staring at it pensively.

"Yeah, we should." He said, and Sango knew him well enough to know that was his agreement.

"Should what...?" Keiran asked, not following the conversation. InuYasha swiftly reached out, gently tapped the bottom of her outstretched hand, then brought his other hand around to catch the jewel shard as it flew in the air, Keiran's eyes widening. InuYasha then used the hand that he tapped her with to push her shoulder, leaning into it.

Surprised and off balance, she fell backwards again, sighing.

"Gimme my shard." She said, laying on her back, staring at the ceiling.

InuYasha shook his head.

"Nope." He said cheerily.

"Now, InuYasha." She said, sitting up.

InuYasha tilted his head to the left a bit, examining her.

"Why?" He asked.

She stared at him, unnerving him slightly with her unblinking black eyes.

"Because it belongs to me, and I would like to have it back."

InuYasha held it up in front of his face, with his thumb and forefinger, and he focused on Keiran, then the jewel, then Keiran again.

"Welllll, since I _did_ kill the demon, and I _did _save your life, shouldn't I get a reward?" He asked.

Keiran glared at him, and said nothing.

"What else do you want?" She asked softly. "I can give you anything, except that shard." She said. She looked at the floor, then back at InuYasha.

"I will give you myself, but please, give me the shard back." She pleaded.

InuYasha's amber eyes widened, and he almost dropped the shard, and his ears swivelled in Sango's direction as he heard her coughing, then set a cup down on the floor. Something in the back of his head told him he should be laughing at Sango for choking on a cup of water, but he was too shocked at what Keiran had said to register it.

"Keiran, I don't want your body." He said. "And why does this shard mean so much to you?" He asked. Keiran blushed, but continued to stare at him. Or rather, the shard he held.

"Because." Was all she said.

"Because why?" Sango spoke up.

Keiran looked at her.

"Because he will probably do what everyone else would with it." She said. "And I don't want that to happen."

InuYasha stared at her, thinking hard.

"I'm not going to do what everyone else would with it, because I'm trying to find all the shards, and put the jewel back together." He said. He was quiet for a moment, then spoke again.

"Actually, I was reluctant to give it to you, for that same reason." He said.

Sango stared at InuYasha in amazement. She didn't know he knew how to say 'reluctant', much less use it properly in a sentence.

"Guess I had nothing to worry about." He said, and with that, he reached over, and set the dangerous shard at her feet.

She picked it up, then looked at him.

"Your trying to put the jewel back together?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged.

"Sorta." He said.

"We had a shard-hunting group way back when," He said, "But stuff happened, and it got all messed up." He said. InuYasha stared at the floor for a minute, fighting back long buried emotions as he too remembered things better left forgotten. Sango took the opportunity to catch Keiran's eye, and shake her head at her, signalling her not to ask anymore about it.

When InuYasha looked up, Keiran was staring at him, her head tilted to the side.

"Well, how about this." She said. "I'll let you hold on to the shard, for now, and I'll join your little shard-hunting group, and lend you my fighting skills, in return for you protecting the shard." She said.

InuYasha stared at her, and willed himself not to laugh.

"What fighting skills do you have?" He asked. He thought he kept a straight face, but Keiran must have seen through it, for her brow creased, and her pupils contracted.

"I hate you." She said, and InuYasha could detect just a tiny bit of humor in her voice.

"And your a whore." He said matter-of-factly, blinking at her.

"What the fu--I'll kill youuuuuu!!!!!!!!!" She launched herself off the ground, and tacked him to the ground again, and this time InuYasha was totally defenseless, as she took advantage of him hitting his head on the floor, confusing him. She punched him in the stomach, chest, face, shoulders, anywhere she could land a hit, and by the time InuYasha recovered, she was out of breath, panting slightly.

Once she caught her breath, she smiled cockily, and stared at him, not realizing that she was once again straddling his hips.

Sango just watched calmly, knowing that while she had total trust in InuYasha, and that Keiran probably wouldn't do anything, it was best to not be totally oblivious to the situation, for Keiran might get the wrong idea, and try to make a move. So she watched.

"I beat your ass there." She said proudly, and InuYasha gave a short, barking laugh.

"Your funny." He said. "You are, your funny."

She raised her fist, then stopped, not getting it, and not sure if he was complimenting or insulting her.

"Whaa?" She asked.

InuYasha looked up at her.

"You said that you really beat my ass, and I laughed, and said you were funny, I'm sorry, I was assuming that you were making a joke, but it turned out you were serious, which is even funnier." He said.

"Your a bastard." She said, but didn't bother punching him, for she was too tired. InuYasha shrugged. "You'll get used to it." He said. He too seemed a bit tired. She once again got off him, and he sat up, sighing.

"Just seeing that shard, and thinking of all the shit we are gonna get into is making me tired." He said. He turned to Keiran, who had settled herself cross-legged beside him.

"How come you actually put up a fight when you were trying to kill me, but your punches are so damn weak?" He asked.

Keiran blinked, and ran her fingers through her black hair.

"Remember the demon?" She asked. "Infinite energy thing?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded slowly. "Oh yeahhhhh." He said.

Keiran slumped.

"Without the demon, I'm actually really weak." She said. "It sucks."

InuYasha patted her knee.

"Don't worry, if you travel with us, you'll get really strong, really fast." He said. Keiran smiled at him.

"That's good, that's what I need." She said. InuYasha blinked.

"Why's that?" He asked.

Keiran shrugged. "Just because." She said, and something about the way she said it made something in Sango's memory awaken, and ignite a slight nervous feeling in her stomach. She was about to relate Keiran's words with the memory that she had just pulled up, when an aggravated growl broke her concentration, making her forget what had made her feel so nervous.

InuYasha had pushed Keiran over again, and now he jumped up, hiding behind Sango, his hands on her shoulders as Keiran stood up, ebony eyes filled with mock anger.

"Get over here, InuYasha, and this time I really _will_ kick your ass!" She said.

InuYasha laughed, then stopped abruptly lest she think that he was laughing at her. She thought that anyway, and growled, and for a second, a different scent reached InuYasha's nose, but he was too occupied to notice it.

"Oh shit Sango, I think she's serious this time, help me!" He laughed, and ducked down as a bowl went flying past Sango's shoulder, almost hitting him in the face again. InuYasha took a a chance, and jumped out, aiming for the cabin door. He took a powerful step toward it, and figured that he would make it to the door, and ensure freedom, before she could reach him, but he was wrong.

Keiran slid in front of the door, and Sango watched in amusement as InuYasha started backing up.

"Sango..." He said.

Keiran took a step forward, and this time there was no trace of a smile on her face.

"Sango." He said, a bit more forcefully. Sango said nothing, preferring to watch what she was sure was going to happen.

Keiran took another step forward, and raised her fist, and that's when InuYasha noticed her scent change.

"Sa-Sango!!!!!!"

A/N: Well, there's another chapter for you, hope you enjoyed it, and I think I should say that we are almost close to the halfway point to this story. Please keep reading and reviewing, and thanks to all my loyal reviewers out there, who have stuck by this story and most of my others, it's much appreciated. Also, for the last little while, my internet has been down, and it still is, so that's why updates weren't coming as often. Another week or so, and I should have internet back. Thanks again for reading, please review.


	28. Blood

Pure Anger 28.

InuYasha was awoken by a slap on the side of the face, and it jerked him out of his peaceful slumber, instantly putting him the bad mood.

"What the fuck was that for?" He asked, snarling and baring his fangs as he opened his eyes, clutching the side of his face. Keiran tried her best to look innocent as he immediately turned to her, but it was ruined by Sango elbowing her gently, and leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Next time don't slap him awake, he's very volatile if he's awakened rudely." She said.

InuYasha heard this, of course, and jumped to his feet. Almost immediately, he felt himself overbalancing and falling backward, not being able to keep himself balanced, tired and disoriented as he was.

He landed on his backside, and Keiran burst out laughing, pointing at him. InuYasha growled, and jumped forward, chasing her on all fours, screaming.

"Laugh at me again!" He screamed, "I swear when I get you I'll tear you apart!!" Keiran giggled, and tore out of the hut, InuYasha right behind her, becoming more alert now, and standing up. He ran after her, and Sango watched him dissappear around a corner, intent on catching her.

Sango sighed, and leaned against the door.

"He seems more excited around her, I think." She said. "Is he more energetic and cheery now that she's here, or is he just really agitated and active all the time?" She wondered. She didn't know if she should keep Keiran around, or get rid of her. She knew that InuYasha wouldn't intentionally do anything with that girl behind her back, but she also knew that you couldn't help it when you fell in love or became attracted to someone, and she knew that if she wasn't careful, then InuYasha might fall out of love with her, and become interested in that girl, and she knew that she wanted to keep InuYasha forever. She sighed again, and closed her eyes, turning around and going back into the hut.

InuYasha lunged forward, diving toward the girl. She was damn fast, and he guessed that that was the only reason she had survived so many battles, demon help or not. As his feet left the ground, and he became airborne, he focused on his target like he had taught himself, and not on the hard ground that was approaching. After all, if he hit his target, then he wouldn't have to worry about hitting the hard ground.

Keiran looked over her shoulder, and saw InuYasha diving toward her, right arm outstretched, reaching for her, a grin on his face. She shrieked, and darted to the left, but wasn't quick enough as InuYasha's left arm shot forward, grabbing her left shoulder, and yanking hard. She was pulled off balance, and she turned to her left, aided by InuYasha's pull. She felt her feet get all tangled up with each other, and she tripped, pitching backward. She knew she was just half a second from slamming her back into the ground, and she instinctively reached out for InuYasha, who was falling out of his dive. She reached out, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling her body up against his, and a half second later, his right arm shot out, hand against the ground, and InuYasha slipped his left hand around her waist, pulling her tight against him.

InuYasha let his right elbow bend, and as he collapsed his right arm, he ducked his head into the crook of Keiran's neck, and rounded his back, dipping his right shoulder. His shoulder hit the ground, and he rolled with it, down his right shoulder, and off his left hip, protecting his neck and spine, as he hugged Keiran close. As he completed the roll, instead of bringing his legs under himself to stand up and keep going, he threw his feet out, digging his heels into the ground as he skidded to a stop, in a sitting position, breathing heavily. He caught his breath, then let himself fall back, so he was laying on his back on the ground. A few seconds later, Keiran raised her head, and flicked her black hair out of her eyes. She looked down at him, and smiled.

"Well, you got me alright." She said.

InuYasha shrugged. "Yeah, but now I can't remember why I was chasing you in the first place." He said. Keiran giggled. "Me neither." She lied. She was about to get up, and InuYasha knew this, instantly tightening his arm around her waist, holding her against his body. She blushed lightly and stared down at him.

"W-What are you doing?" She asked.

InuYasha stared back at her. "Just admiring your beauty." He said, staring into her deep black eyes.

Keiran blushed.

"Isn't that girl your mate, though?" She asked. This time it was InuYasha's turn to blush.

"N-no, no matter how much I want that, it will never happen." He said. Keiran cocked her head to the side, and put her hands on his chest, leaning over him a bit more.

"Why not?" She asked. InuYasha sighed.

"Well, I want to, and she's admitted that she wants to, but I sometimes don't know if I should, I wonder if I'll be making a mistake if I do." He said. "I wonder if she will be truely happy, being mated to a half dog demon." He said.

Keiran smiled, and shook her head. She leaned down, and gently touched his nose, grinning at his confused expression.

"Don't worry about that, InuYasha." She said. "If she really loves you, all that won't matter to her, she will mate with you without fear or consequence." She said. InuYasha thought about it for a few seconds, then realized that it must be true. After all, she had stuck through everything else with him, and had never once tried to put off any of the times they were going to mate, someone just usually ended up interfering. InuYasha thought about it some more, and when he realized that he really could have Sango, he smiled, and released Keiran. She got off him, then bent down, grabbing his hands. She pulled him up, and they started walking back to the village, InuYasha still trying to remember why he was chasing her in the first place.

They walked about halfway back to the village in silence, becfore Keiran spoke up.

"And you were chasing me because I slapped you awake like the little bitch you are." She said, then took off running. InuYasha smiled, and gave chase, but this time he wasn't so focused on catching her, he was just enjoying the exercise she was giving him, and the different sort of friendship they had.

Back at the village, Sango smiled knowingly as both InuYasha's, and Keiran's stomachs growled. She set out the food she had prepared, and this time was surprised when InuYasha came and sat by her. Keiran, seeing herself distanced from the couple, got up, and sat on Sango's other side, smiling at her.

Sango smiled back, and continued eating, knowing exactly what they were going to be doing when they finished.

InuYasha ate fast, and when he was finished he set his bowl down, leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes, and tried to catch up on his inturrupted sleep. No such luck.

Keiran finished her food, looked at InuYasha, looked at Sango, then put her finger to her lips, indicating silence. She produced a collar, and crept over to InuYasha's side, ever so slowly undoing it and slipping it around his neck. She did it up as tight as she could without it squeezing his throat, and as she pulled away his golden eyes flashed open.

"What are you doing?" He asked, sitting up. Then he noticed the leash attached to his throat, with the end in Keiran's hand. He growled, and was about to take the collar off, when Keiran pouted.

"Aww, your no fun." She said. InuYasha hesitated for a second, but when he moved to take it off again, she looked up at him pleadingly.

"Leave it on, please?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged."Why?" He asked. "Gimme a good reason."

Keiran grinned viciously.

"I'll cry if you don't." She said.

InuYasha stared at her.

"..." He tried to think of a comeback, and didn't know whether he should insult her, tell her off, or just take the collar off.

"..." She stared back at him, letting tears form in the corner of her eyes.

"..." InuYasha decided to just do all three.

"That's a cheap, dirty way to make me do something, you whore." He said, and gave the leash a quick tug. Keiran pouted, unfazed by the insults, but wishing he wouldn't take the collar off.

To InuYasha's surprise, just the leash snapped off, and the collar remained securely fixed around his neck. He growled.

"Why you...I'll fix your wagon!" He said, and reached up, tugging at the leather wrapped securely around his neck. Sango giggled, and InuYasha stopped for a second to look at her.

"This isn't funny, Sango!" He said. "I can't get this damn thing off!!"

Sango grinned, and touched his arm, making him stop.

"Just leave it on, InuYasha." She said. "It won't harm you in battle, and it's not going to hurt your appearance any..." She said, staring at him. "It's kind of hot, really." Keiran spoke up, knowing it was true, but just wanting to see InuYasha's reaction.

He blushed, first from embarrassment, then from anger.

"Hey, you saying I need some dumb leather collar to look good?" He asked. Sango giggled, and shook her head.

"No InuYasha, all we are saying is that the collar merely accentuates your many good features." She said. InuYasha glared at her.

"I don't get what all that meant, but I'm betting it was an insult of some sort." He said. Sango rolled her eyes.

"Please, do I look like my name is Keiran?" She asked, and Keiran laughed, gently slapping Sango's back.

InuYasha stared at her for a second, before shrugging.

"Whatever, let's get out of here." He said. "I'm sick of being cooped up in one place."

He stood, and stretched, followed by Sango. Keiran sighed, and stood up, only to be casually pushed back down by InuYasha's foot on her shoulder as she stood.

"Hey, knock it off, bitch!" She said playfully. InuYasha shrugged.

"Okay." He said, and he grabbed his sword's sheath, swiftly swinging it like a baseball bat at her head.

She let out a yelp, and raised her hands up in front of her face, squeezing her eyes closed, tensing up for the impact.

When none came, she opened her eyes to see Sango and InuYasha outside of the cabin, laughing.

"Aww, your a prick, InuYasha!"

Keiran sighed for the umpteenth time that day, and put her hand on Sango's shoulder as they walked.

"Is this what you do all day?" She asked. "Walk in a single direction until a monster with a shard pops out?" She asked.

Sango thought about it for a second.

"Yup." She said.

Keiran moaned, and InuYasha's ears twitched.

She noticed this, and giggled, running a few steps ahead to where InuYasha was walking ahead of them. She ran up behind him, and jumped on his back, surprising him.

"InuYasha!!!" She said, then giggled. InuYasha grabbed her legs, to support her and keep her from choking him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What do you want?" He asked, pretending to be annoyed.

"Aww is that any way to treat a friend?" She asked.

InuYasha was silent for a second, pretending to think about it.

"Yeah, yeah it is, so I don't know why I'm treating you like that." He said.

Keiran glared at him, but since her head was resting on his shoulder, he wouldn't see it, effectively ending it's purpose. Then she got a better idea. She opened her mouth, and tilted her head a bit, nipping InuYasha on the side of the neck.

He yelped, and almost dropped her.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?!" He asked, his voice rising sharply.

Keiran giggled, a sound InuYasha was starting to like, and she nuzzled him softly.

"Aww, I'm sorry, did I bite you too hard?" She asked.

InuYasha sighed.

"Uh yeah, sorta." He said. "That's why I bitched at you." He said. Then another thought made him open his mouth again. "And why the fuck did you bite me anyway?" He asked, feeling a dull throb on the left side of his neck, close to where his shoulder curved up into his neck.

Keiran shrugged.

"I don't know, something to do I guess." She lied. She licked the spot where she had bitten him, and was pleased to feel a shudder pass through his body.

InuYasha recovered from the feeling of Keiran's warm, wet tongue on his neck, then looked at Sango, eyebrow cocked.

"Something to do?" He asked. He felt Keiran nod.

"Your fuckin' psycho." He muttered. "Get off me, before you kill me, for 'something to do'." He said. He released her legs, and she sighed again, dropping off his back to resume walking.

_A few hours later..._

"This is boring." Keiran stated, and Sango sighed.

"Yeah, it sucks, but you'll get used to it." She said. "If you stay with us." She added quickly.

Keiran nodded. "I think I will, if you guys don't mind."

Sango shrugged. "Fine by me, I enjoy your company." She said.

Keiran turned to InuYasha.

"InuYasha?" She asked.

InuYasha snorted.

"Run away." He said flatly, and Keiran laughed at his tone.

"Well, seeing as InuYasha wants me to stay, I'll stay." She said happily.

InuYasha turned to look at her, incredulous.

"What the hell, woman, I said run away, not stay!" He said.

Keiran smiled happily.

"And I know you well enough now to tell that you meant stay, and that your just too tough to show me how you really feel." She said.

InuYasha felt his face heating up, and he played it out as anger.

"Where in the hell are you getting this garbage at!?!" He asked. "Your completely wrong!" He said.

Keiran pointed to Sango, who was walking beside her.

"She told me it." Keiran said innocently.

InuYasha glared at Sango, who waved back at him, grinning nervously.

"Uh...hehe...Yeah." She said. InuYasha said nothing, and kept on walking. Sango grabbed Keiran's arm, and pulled her to a stop.

"Your not supposed to tell him that I tell you!" She said. Keiran waved her hand in front of Sango's face.

"Don't worry Sango, it's not like he's going to stop loving you because of it." She said. "He's not that childish, right?" She asked.

Sango shook her head. "You'd be surprised..." She said softly, remembering a certain incident that involved a hanyou and a fish...

"I heard that!" Came the loud bark, and Sango winced.

"Besides," Keiran said, "This makes everything fun, even walking a million miles just to find a place that may or may not hold a demon." She said.

InuYasha grinned to himself, then slowed, allowing the girls to pull even with him. Then he sighed.

"Ahh Sango, remember when it was just us?" He asked. "Everything was so peaceful back then, so quiet and uncomplicated." He said.

Sango laughed despite knowing what InuYasha was going for.

"Yeah, it was." She agreed.

Keiran pouted. "Hey, I can be quiet and uncomplicated too!" She said.

InuYasha laughed.

"AHAHA, Goddamn I love the funny stuff you say!" He said. Keiran kicked him in the ass, and he winced.

"Ow, hey, watch it!" He said.

Keiran shrugged.

"Okay." She said, then fell into step behind him, staring at his ass. InuYasha knew she was copying what he had done to her earlier before they had left the cabin, but for some reason he thought she was getting more enjoyment out of this one...

InuYasha was determined to keep walking, but eventually he started to feel uncomfortable. He took it though, determined to hold his silence. He walked for another ten minutes, but then the uncomfortable feeling became to much for him, and he snapped.

"Stop it!" He said.

"..." He recieved no answer, and the feeling that he was being checked out and stared at was still there.

"Keiran, I'm warning you..." He said, growling softly.

Suddenly Keiran was beside him.

"I stopped like twenty minutes ago." She said bluntly. "Since then I've been keeping myself quiet and uncomplicated."

InuYasha stared at her.

"Then who the fuck is undressing me with their eyes...?" He asked.

Sango coughed.

"Ahh, that would be me."

_Later that night..._

InuYasha laid down on his stomach, exhausted, but knew that before he caught any sleep, he would have to endure hours of Keiran's endless talking, poking, prodding, nagging, whining and bitching. He smiled to himself, and closed his eyes. It was all worth it though, she really livened things up. He was just about to drift off to sleep, when he felt someone lay down beside him, putting their arm around his waist. He inhaled through his nose, and through the majority of dirt, the faint scent of Keiran reached his nose. He suppressed a groan, and yawned.

"Whoever that is, it better be Sango." He muttered. He of course knew that it was Keiran, but he was giving her a chance to move away, without him having to waste energy getting her off him.

"Nope!" Came Keiran's cheery voice.

"Then go away." Was InuYasha's tired response.

"No way, I'm not wasting the night!" She said. "I only have you for a couple more hours, then I have to give you up!" She said.

InuYasha, tired beyond all limits from dealing with her all day, had no idea what she was talking about.

"What the fuck are you babbling about now?" He asked.

Keiran slid her hand from his waist to his back, rubbing him slowly.

"I bought you offa Sango for a couple hours." She said.

InuYasha's ear twitched.

"You...bought me?" He asked.

Keiran nodded, the movement unseen by InuYasha.

"Yup, Sango went to buy some things in the village market, and needed some extra money, so I gave her some in exchange for having you all to myself for tonight." She said.

InuYasha sighed.

"You know, the only reason you're getting away with this, is because it's for Sango." He said flatly. "If it was anyone else, I would have killed both them and you." He said.

Keiran giggled.

"Aww, that's so cute!" She said.

InuYasha was confused. "Me killing you is cute?" He asked. "Damn your a weird one!"

Keiran pinched his back lightly, making his eyes open in surprise.

"No, not that." She said. "It's cute that you are willing to do this because of Sango." She said.

InuYasha shrugged. "Yeah..."

His eyes drifted closed again as Keiran started rubbing his back. She felt the tense muscles in his back start to relax as she continued rubbing, and a few minutes later, InuYasha was in a deep sleep.

Keiran grinned. It was just what she wanted. She got up, and checked around the area, making sure that no one would walk by in the middle of it, and that Sango wouldn't come back anytime soon. The story she had told to InuYasha _was_ true, but Sango made sure that Keiran understood that there were to be no sexual acts going on, and what was about to happen could be mistaken as a sexual act. The only thing that she was buying was InuYasha's guarantee that he wouldn't go psycho and kill her, or anything, he had to put up with whatever she gave him. She sighed, and felt her blood stirring at the thought of what she was about to do, an intense longing igniting in the pit of her stomach. She pulled her black hair back into a pony-tail, and secured it with a ribbon, before stepping back to InuYasha's side, and kneeling down. She rubbed InuYasha's back for a few minutes, then, when she was sure that her touch had brought him out of his deep sleep into a lighter one, she leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Why don't you roll over, InuYasha?" She asked softly, and in his sleep, InuYasha acknowledged the request, turning over onto his back. Keiran smiled, and rubbed his stomach with one hand, pushing the hair out of his face with the other. She looked around one final time, before leaning down, nuzzling InuYasha's neck. As she did so, she scented the warm blood flowing inches beneath the surface of his neck, and she purred, feeling her body ache with want. The need was growing inside her, but it wasn't time yet, so she held herself back.

She continued to nuzzle him, letting her hands roam his body, ever so lightly to keep him from awakening. There would be plenty of time for that later. She kissed his neck, then licked it, her tongue tracing over the still visible bite marks from earlier. She moaned, and closed her eyes, feeling herself losing control. The transformation was beginning, as it started to overcome her body, and anyone watching would see her body trembling as she tried to resist the changes coming over her. In the end though, she lost, as she always did, and when she opened her eyes, they were tinted red, marking the presence of a demon. Her fangs, which had been growing ever so slowly all day in preparation for tonight, thus the still visible bite marks on InuYasha's neck, took a rapid growth spurt, lengthening rapidly. She growled softly, and her hand came up to caress InuYasha's neck, sliding around to the back of his neck to support his head as she lowered her mouth to his neck. She sniffed his throat, finding the spot where the blood ran closest to the surface of the skin, and when she found it, she opened her mouth, letting her fangs drag lightly against his skin. She positioned her fangs on the skin, right over the spot where she was sure to get lots of blood, and hesitated just a second before biting down, sending her fangs through his skin.

She bit him deeply, and as his blood started seeping out of the wounds, coating her white fangs in a sheen of slippery red blood, she lapped up the warm flowing liquid, moaning softly as she immediately liked the taste. After all, half-breed blood was so rare to find these days.

Sango walked into the hut to find both Keiran and InuYasha asleep, the former by herself on one side of the room, and the latter stretched out on his back, sword clutched tightly in his hand. Sango smiled tiredly, and made a mental note to ask Keiran how InuYasha behaved while she was gone. She dropped all the things she had purchased onto the floor in a corner of the room, and laid down tiredly on the floor next to InuYasha, cuddling up to him. She sighed, and as she drifted off to sleep, she shivered for a second. Even though he was asleep, InuYasha seemed to know this, and he put his arms around his best friend, and hugged her close, warming her up. She smiled, then remembered Keiran. She sighed, and detached herself from the sleeping InuYasha, with the whispered promise that she would be back in a second.

She sorted through one of the bags she had brought, and pulled out a thick blanket. As she approached Keiran, she realized that the girl was shivering slightly, and she quickly covered her up, sliding a rolled up blanket underneath her head for a pillow. A few seconds later, the girl automatically pulled the blanket closer around her body, and Sango returned to InuYasha's side, once again finding warmth and comfort in his arms.

Seeing as it was dark inside the hut, and outside, for that matter, and she was very tired, she never noticed the bite marks on his neck, and due to InuYasha's swift healing powers, she probably never would, for they would heal and fade away before morning came.

As for InuYasha, he never knew what had taken place during the night, and probably never would, keeping Keiran's secret safe. Well, he wouldn't notice, if it wasn't for the changes that took place...

A/N: For the last couple chapters, the story has taken on a lighter tone, sort of a break in the tension in the story, and Keiran acts as a comic relief character. But no worries, the randomness will stop soon enough, as the plot progresses. As well, a bit more of Keiran is revealed, which is good.


	29. First Kill

Pure Anger 29.

InuYasha awoke, and winced as he sat up, grabbing at his neck. It was slightly sore, and as he ran his fingers over his neck, he could feel slight indents. He shrugged it off, and decided that Keiran must have bitten him harder than he thought while she was on his back. He looked around, and saw Keiran still sleeping, in a corner of the hut, while Sango was next to him, moving around softly, looking for his warmth. He sighed contentedly, and laid back down, slipping his arm around Sango's waist. He closed his eyes, and let himself drift back to sleep, glad that he was holding Sango.

Sango smiled to herself, and kept her eyes closed as InuYasha laid back down, and she suppressed a giggle as he slipped his arm around her waist, tickling her softly. She had shifted during the night, and was now facing away from him, so she was gently pulled up against his chest, and she let her hand fall down to rest over his, as his thumb gently rubbed her stomach. Right now she was the happiest girl in the world, and she realized now that she hadn't cuddled with InuYasha in a while, and it felt good to do so now. She decided that she would make the most of it, and she turned around, surprising her hanyou.

"I thought you were asleep." He whispered, and she shook her head, kissing him on the lips.

"Nope, I'm awake." She said.

InuYasha purred lightly.

"Well, let's make the most of it then." He said, and he kissed her back. Sango closed her eyes, and put her arms around his neck, pulling her body against his. Once again she wanted to take things further, but now that Keiran was travelling with them, and currently in the same room as them, she didn't know when she would get the chance.

InuYasha kissed her a couple more times, and hugged her tight, closing his eyes.

"It's nice like this." He mumbled, and Sango hummed in agreement.

"Too bad we don't get to do it very often anymore." She said. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, it sucks." He said, and Sango giggled at the obvious sadness in his voice.

"Don't worry babe, maybe once we start travelling again, we can find a hot spring, just the two of us, and have some fun." She whispered in his ear, and it twitched in response.

"Sounds like a good idea." He said, and tightened his grip on her slightly. She smiled, and nuzzled him, then groaned as she happened to look over InuYasha's shoulder and see Keiran waking up.

"Keiran's waking up." She whispered, and pulled away from him, shivering slightly at the loss of contact. InuYasha sighed, and rolled onto his back, immediately missing her touch.

Keiran awoke slowly, as little whisperings reached her ears, but try as she might, she couldn't make out what they were saying. She yawned, then stretched, feeling energy flood through her body.

As she awoke, memories of last night filled her mind, and a blush filled her cheeks. She had never tasted blood so sweet before, yet so rich in it's unspent emotion. She licked her lips at the memory, and tried to recall just what emotion the blood was tainted with, but she couldn't remember. She sighed, and stood up, a blanket falling off her shoulders. Confused, she thought back to last night, and again replayed her experience with InuYasha, blushing slightly, then recalled immediately going to sleep, and InuYasha was already unconscious anyway, so that left...

Keiran turned around, and smiled at Sango, who was standing beside InuYasha, who was laying on his back. Sango smiled back at her, and Keiran indicated the blanket.

"From you?" She asked, and Sango nodded. "Yeah, you were shivering last night." She said. " So I gave you a blanket."

Keiran smiled again. "Thanks Sango." She said. "I appreciate it."

Sango nodded. "Anytime."

Keiran folded the blanket, and set it down on the floor in the corner of the hut. As she stood, she stretched, noticing her black hair falling about her shoulders. The band that she had used must have come out. She looked around, and found it on the floor where she had been sleeping, and she picked it up, replacing it in her hair, pulling her hair back tight against her skull. She straightened her clothes, then decided to go shopping for new ones. She yawned once more, and stretched her arms, neck, back and shoulders, moaning softly.

"Hey guys." She said softly, looking over her shoulder at them as she folded her blanket.

Both InuYasha and Sangos' heads came up as she spoke, to look at her.

"Yeah?" Sango asked.

"We should go buy more stuff." She grinned evilly, her ponytail swinging about her shoulders as she turned to face forward again, to fold the blanket. She set it down on the floor, then turned around.

"I need new clothes, and InuYasha looks like he could use something new." She said, "Whaddya say?" She asked.

Sango looked at InuYasha, then back at Keiran. "We're out of money." She said bluntly.

Keiran smiled. "But I'm not." She said.

Sango raised an eyebrow, wondering how much money she really did have, but said nothing, accepting her offer.

"Okay, let's go buy some stuff." She agreed, and InuYasha barely contained his sigh. He jumped up, and had to lean on Sango for a second as blood rushed to his head, making him dizzy. He winced as stars exploded in front of his eyes, and it felt like he was going to pass out. He grimaced, and kept holding on to Sango, not hearing her asking if he was alright. He waited until the dizzy spell wore off, then looked to Sango, who was staring at him worriedly.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "What happened?"

InuYasha shook his head, and let go of her shoulder. "I just stood up too fast." He said. "Happens all the time."

Sango continued to watch him for a few seonds, and for that reason, she didn't see Keiran's worried glance at InuYasha, before heading out the door.

InuYasha groaned, and grabbed his head, still suffering from the rush of blood to his head. He was telling the truth, it had happened to him before, especially right after waking up, but never had it been that strong before. He shook it off, and walked out, tucking his hands inside his haori sleeves.

They walked toward the more high-end clothing shops, and as they approached the more classy ones, InuYasha got more nervous. There was no way he could afford these types of clothing, much less walk into one of these shops wearing his fire rat kimono. He snorted, and decided that he didn't care, that he would do it anyway. He followed Sango and Keiran into one of the shops, and gaped around as he saw expensive kimonos everywhere. He watched as Sango and Keiran started sorting through the ones that they liked, ones they didn't like, and ones that were most likely to be useful in battle, all that stuff.

InuYasha decided to look around a bit, and no sooner had he started, then one piece caught his eye. He stared at it, and wished that he had more money. It was a samurais outfit, complete with red chest armor, gauntlets, and black hakama. Then over that, was a haori of pure white, with black flame patterns coming off the sleeves, up to the shoulders. He reached out and felt the fabric gently, then shook his head. It was nice, sure, but there was no way that he could fight in it. It was a samurais outfit, made exclusively for sword-fighting, it would never last as long as his haori when it came to how he fought. He continued walking around, until he eventually came back to the girls, who were giggling over something.

"Hey, what are you doing?" He asked cautiously, walking over to them.

Sango turned, and hid something behind her back, smiling at InuYasha.

"Nothing!" She said. "Um, uh, nothing, why?" She asked. InuYasha stared at her.

"Just wondering..." He said. "You find anything that you like yet?" He asked.

Sango shrugged. "Not yet." She said. "Keiran has though."  
"I think." She declared. "I'm not through looking yet." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Okay." He said. He shrugged, and was about to turn away, when Sango giggled again.

"Say, InuYasha..." She said, and InuYasha's ear twitched at the tone of her voice. "Yeah?" He asked, turning around.

"WIll you try some stuff on for us?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged. "Sure, I guess." He said.

Sango smiled happily. "Thanks, InuYasha!" She said. She pulled him toward a sectioned off area, and went in with him, handing him the clothes that she had been hiding behind her back.

"Put these on for me, okay babe?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded, and waited until she had left the area, before sliding the screen across. He swiftly took off his clothes, then stared in confusion at the clothes Sango was trying to get him to wear.

He sighed, and reminded himself that he had already agreed, so he slipped the clothes on, making a mental note to check the clothes out next time before agreeing to anything.

He walked out, and Sango tapped Keiran on the shoulder, making her turn around. When she saw InuYasha, her face flushed bright red, and she whistled softly at him.

InuYasha blushed lightly, hoping that it was unnoticeable, and shifted his weight to his left leg, pretending to be bored.

Keiran continued to stare at him, and she leaned over, resting her head on Sango's shoulder.

"He's so hot." She whispered, and Sango agreed. "Yeah, he is." She said, smiling.

InuYasha was clad in a tight form-fitting black shirt, that hugged the contours of his body, and were completely sleeveless. It only came down to an inch below his ribs, leaving his lower stomach visible. The shirt accented his chest muscles, and left his stomach muscles open for viewing. The sleeveless shirt also accented his shoulders and biceps, which Sango and Keiran loved. He had on a pair of black shorts, knee length, that very closely resembled Keiran's, with the exception that his had an inch wide ivory border around the bottom of the short leggings.

"Turn around." Keiran ordered, and InuYasha did. Keiran gaped at the muscles in his shoulders and back, and had to grab on to Sango for support.

"Wow." She said, and Sango nodded. "Yeah, wow." She said. "It's too bad that he wears that damn fire-rat haori so much." She said. Keiran nodded. "Yeah, I like him better without it." She grinned. She stood behind Sango, and stared at InuYasha, resting her head on Sango's right shoulder, with her arms around Sango's waist.

"He's a hottie." She murmured, and Sango shivered when she felt Keiran's warm breath on her neck. InuYasha turned back around, and flicked his long silver hair back over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at Keiran, who was hugging Sango.

"Um, is something wrong?" He asked. Keiran broke out of her trance, and blushed again.

"G-gomen!" She said, and let go of Sango. Still, she couldn't take her eyes off InuYasha.

"Do you want those clothes, InuYasha?" She asked. InuYasha shrugged. "I don't know..."

Sango walked over to him and hugged him, looking up at him.

"Aww, come on InuYasha, you look so hot in them, you gotta, please?" She asked.

InuYasha hesitated for a second. "But I look rediculous in these clothes." He said.

Sango laughed. "No you don't babe, you look great, or else we wouldn't have dressed you in them." She said.

InuYasha remained skeptical, but accepted the clothing, folding up his fire-rat clothes, and holding on to them tight.

Keiran picked an outfit out, but kept it hidden in a folded cloth, saying it was for later. They all brought their stuff up to the man who was selling, Sango opting not to buy anything, since she had borrowed money of Keiran last night. InuYasha accepted Keiran's gift, and they left, walking back toward the hut they were staying in. InuYasha opened the door, and Sango and Keiran walked in, InuYasha whispering his thanks as she walked by. She nodded, and took his hand, leading him into the cabin. She sat down with him on the floor, sitting right across from him, their knees touching. She took his hand and placed it on her leg, and he looked at her confused.

"There's just one more thing needed to complete your outfit." She said.

"What's that?" He asked. She grinned, and produced a roll of pure white bandage.

"Some fight tape." She said. She started at his wrist, wrapping it tightly, and wounding the bandage halfway up to his elbow. Once that was done, she started on the other arm, and InuYasha couldn't help but notice that she placed his second hand a lot further up on her thigh than she had his first hand. He started sweating a bit, and he couldn't wait for her to be done. She took her time, and once she was done, she placed her hand on top of his, keeping his hand there.

"Some people do their ankles too, but that's up to you." She said. "I do my ankles, it provides good stabilty and support in the ankles when running and jumping." She said.

InuYasha nodded, and stood up, as did Keiran. As he came to his feet, he was hit by another dizzy spell, and he had to grab on to Keiran's shoulder to keep himself balanced. He squeezed his eyes closed in pain, as his head throbbed, and he felt blood pulsing harshly in his neck, as it rushed to his head.

Keiran inhaled through her nose, and she scented InuYasha's sweet blood throbbing through the vein in his neck, calling out to her. She gasped as she felt the familiar pangs of transformation, and she wondered why she was changing now. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sango looking at her, and her mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear any of the words. She couldn't see any reason to transform, she wasn't needing blood, she shouldn't be changing. She clamped her jaws closed in an attempt to limit her fangs growing, but had to open her mouth in pain when her fangs grew right through her bottom gums. She winced in pain, and then it struck her. She knew why she was transforming.

Sango rushed to InuYasha's side, glancing at Keiran as she did so.

"What did you do to him!?" She shouted. Keiran winced, and clamped her mouth closed, squeezing her eyes shut. Sango looked back to InuYasha, who was panting heavily, still feeling dizzy.

Sango looked back to Keiran as she felt something warm splash on her hand, and what she saw startled her. Keiran's eyes had taken on a reddish tint to their normally black shade, and her fangs were like InuYasha's when he transformed into a demon. Her fangs had peirced her bottom lip, and some blood had splashed onto her arm. She took a step back from her involuntarily, still clutching InuYasha's arm. InuYasha was straightening up now, moaning softly and holding onto his head. That's when Keiran struck.

Keiran knew why she was transforming. If it wasn't bacause lack of blood, and it wasn't for defense purposes, then the only other reason she was transforming was because she was in heat. It was starting.

She opened her eyes, and saw Sango take a step back, a look of fear on her face. She blinked, and focused her gaze on InuYasha, who was just standing up. She leapt forward, and surprised him, catching him off guard. She tackled him to the floor, and pinned his arms down, glaring at him. She heard Sango yelling at her, and she knew that she had to get it finished quickly. She obviously couldn't do what her body wanted her to do, there wasn't enough time, and besides, InuYasha was already taken by Sango, but she could do the next best thing. She swiftly sunk her fangs into his neck, making him gasp. She felt his hands come down on her shoulders, and attempt to push her away, but he couldn't. She continued sucking, and he became weaker and weaker until his hands fell off her shoulders, and he fell into unconsciousness. Sango grabbed Keiran by the shoulders from behind, and hauled her off InuYasha. Keiran let herself be pulled off, having temporarily sated her body's cravings. For now.

"What the hell was that!?" Sango yelled, and slapped the light-headed Keiran across the face.

Keiran yelped in pain, and being extremely vulnerable after just having bitten InuYasha, she hit the ground, and hit her head on the floor, knocking her out. Sango stared at the unconscious girl, and when she realized that she wasn't going to get up, Sango's breathing slowed. She moved to InuYasha's side, and checked him over, gasping when she laid eyes on the four bite marks that now adorned his skin. Two from the last time, which she had no knowledge about, and these two. She shook her head, and wiped the blood off his neck, wondering when he would wake up, and if he would be okay. She looked back to Keiran, and knew that the girl would have some explaining to do when she woke up.

InuYasha awoke with a groan, immediately grabbing at his neck again.

"Fuck, what the hell happened?" He asked Sango, who handed him a glass of water.

"You got raped, that's what." She said.

InuYasha's eyes widened. "WHAT!?!" He yelled.

Sango allowed herself a small smile, then it quickly dissappeared when she thought of what she had to tell InuYasha.

"The girl Keiran bit you on the neck, and you passed out." She said. InuYasha glanced over to where Keiran lay on the floor, unmoved.

"She bit me?" He asked, the confusion evident in his voice.

Sango nodded.

"Yeah, she jumped at you while you were unsteady from a dizzy spell, and sunk her fangs into your neck. You tried to fight her off, but you were unconscious seconds after she bit you." She said.

InuYasha groaned. "What the hell..." He said.

"I do--" Another moan cut through the air, cutting Sango off.

They both looked over to see Keiran struggling to her feet, holding the back of her head.

"What the hell happened?" She asked, looking at Sango.

Sango glared at her, and tried to stand, but InuYasha held her hand, holding her back.

"You went psycho and bit InuYasha, that's what!" Sango said.

Keiran felt her stomach twist as she remembered everything.

"I-I'm sorry." She said, hanging her head in shame. "Please let me explain!"

Sango glared. "Yeah, explain, and hurry up, so I can kill you!" She said.

InuYasha rubbed her back, and she calmed down.

"What happened, Keiran?" InuYasha asked.

Keiran slowly got up, and moved closer, within striking distance of Sango. There she sat, and cast a sorrowful look at InuYasha.

"I'm really sorry InuYasha." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Just get to explaining." He said.

Keiran nodded, and patted his knee, making Sango raise a fist threateningly.

She winced, even though she wasn't hit, then started talking.

"Well, I'm mostly human." She started, then stopped, wondering how to continue.

"A part of me is a demon, part of the pact that I held with that wolf demon for a few years." She said. "The longer that I stayed with that demon, the more of me would take on the appearance of a wolf, until I was converted to a demon, just like my master." She said. Sango raised her eyebrow at that, but said nothing, letting the girl continue.

"The demon side of me always wants blood, but it's up to me to find someone and bite them, and I've been doing it for a couple years now." She said. "Over those years, I've taken on a blood preference, because blood has many special qualities." She said. "Blood can make you rich, can make you poor, label you as an outcast, or disguise you from your enemies." She said, looking at InuYasha as she spoke. "Blood also has a very distinct taste linked directly to an indvidual and his experiences, emotions, thoughts and feelings." She said ."The demon inside me requires blood about once a month, and sometimes it coincides with..." She trailed off. "You know, my day of the month, so I only have to find blood once, but sometimes, the day the demon wants blood is differant then my time, so I have to find blood twice a month, to keep myself and the demon sated." She said.

InuYasha, blushing, kept on listening, never taking his eyes off the girl in front of him.

"At first, I thought that the demon in me only wanted blood once a month, and that was fine, an equal exchange for what the demon does for me, but then I started craving it." She said. "Not the demon, but myself." She said. She was quiet for a minute. "I was disgusted with myself, but I couldn't stop myself. I eventually came to like a certain taste of blood, and now need for the blood pops up everywhere." She said. "The demon wants blood, I go find blood." She said. "My time of the month, I gotta find blood." She said. "But this recent one..."

She stopped, and Sango stared at her. "What?" She asked.

Keiran shook her head, and mumbled something.

InuYasha's ears flicked forward, and he caught the mumbled words. He felt his face heat up at what he had just heard, and was surprised that someone he had only known for a day or two would admit to something like that.

"What did you say?" Sango asked.

Keiran looked at her. "Whenever I get aroused, I feel an insatiable need for blood also." She said, then looked away.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, trying to make sense of what they had heard.

"So basically," Sango said, "The demon inside you requires blood, in exchange for some service, then you need blood on your time of the month, now you feel the need for blood when you get aroused?" She asked.

Keiran nodded. "It's like there's no end to it." She said sadly.

Sango nodded sympathetically.

"So what made you attack InuYasha then?" She asked.

Keiran shook her head and said nothing.

Sango thought she had an idea of why she did it, but kept it to herself.

"Come on Keiran, if you want to keep travelling with us, then we gotta know when to expect this and why." She said.

Keiran was silent for a few more minutes, then she raised her head.

"Well, at first, I was bound by my oath to kill InuYasha," She said, "As you know, then when he saved me, I really liked him for it." She said. "I thought he was a nice guy. But as I started travelling with you, I started to feel attracted to him, and today, seeing him in those clothes pushed me past my limit, and when we got here, I wrapped his wrists and arms, and his hands were on my thighs, and it felt so good, and I wanted more, and then I got aroused, and I turned demon, and bit him." She said, rushing a bit toward the end. Sango stared.

"Um, okay." She said.

Keiran nodded. "I'm really sorry, I wish it was something I could control, but it's not." She said.

Sango touched her shoulder. "It's okay." She said.

"Does it do any damage to InuYasha?" She asked.

"No, it shouldn't." She said. "Unless I keep biting him over and over again, then there will be...certain side-effects." She said.

Sango's eyes narrowed. "Like what?" She asked warily.

"Well, remember how I said that blood carries emotions?" She asked. Sango nodded.

"Well, over time, if I keep biting him, then everytime I bite him, it will give whatever current emotion he has an extreme boost, for a short period of time." She said.

Sango's eyebrow twitched. "That, I don't get." She said.

Keiran sighed. "Yeah, it's pretty strange." She said.

InuYasha, who was silent for the whole conversation, spoke up.

"So it won't actually hurt me?" He asked. Keiran shook her head.

"No, the first couple times, maybe you felt a little dizzy afterwards, but that usually dissappears after you get bitten a third time. Eventually you'll even be able to stay conscious throughout the whole thing." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Okay..." He said.

Keiran nodded. "I'm sorry, it may seem as if I'm using you, but I promise you, it's not something I can control, and it's not something that I benefit from." She said.

Sango nodded. "It's okay." She said. Then she remembered something.

"What exactly does the demon do for you?" She asked.

Keiran looked at her. "The demon keeps me alive." She said.

InuYasha shook his head. "Wow, this is confusing." He said. Sango remembered something else.

"And you being in heat?" She asked.

Keiran nodded. "Being part wolf demon, it's expected." She said. "It should only last about a week and a half, two weeks tops, then it will be over for a while." She said.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow, as part of his mind related her to Ayame, to help him understand better. She was a wolf demon, and she occaisionally went into heat, the scent change was obvious, but Ayame didn't have this kinky biting thing going on.

"Confusing..." InuYasha murmured.

Keiran sighed. "I know." She said sadly. "I'll explain it again as well as some other stuff later if you'd like." She said.

InuYasha sighed. "Do you want to stay with us?" He asked.

Keiran was taken back by his question.

"I was thinking that I'd probably have to leave once I was found out." She said. "You saying you want to keep me around?"

InuYasha nodded. "I like you." He said simply. "You might not have been totally honest with us from the start, but that's fine." He said. "With a secret like that, I know I wouldn't have been honest either." He said.

Keiran nodded. "Thank you for understanding." She said. "And thank you for letting me travel with you."

Sango nodded.

Keiran was silent for a second, then looked up.

"What do I do when I get the need to bite again?" She asked.

InuYasha smirked, and tilted his head to the side a bit, exposing the tooth marks.

"Bite me." He said, grinning.

Keiran looked at him. "Are you sure?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, it doesn't hurt me, and if that's all it takes to help out a friend, then I'll do it." He said.

Keiran smiled. "Thank you InuYasha." She said. InuYasha nodded."No worries." He said. "It's sort of strange, but I'm sure that I'll get used to it." He said.

Keiran smiled happily. "I'm glad your so understanding InuYasha." She said.

"I'll explain more about it later, I promise." She said. "But for now, I still feel bad, I just wanna lie down."

InuYasha ran his fingers over the tooth marks that were already fading from his neck, and he wondered just what kind of friendship he would have with Keiran if he let this continue. It what she said was true, and he had no reason to doubt her yet, then it really wasn't something that she was doing willingly, and it seemed that just recently she was getting some kind of enjoyment out of it, if you could call having a specific flavour of blood an enjoyment.

InuYasha laid down, and sighed, wondering just what else could possibly happen before he found the jewel shards and Naraku.

Keiran laid down also, and turned onto her side, so she was facing away from them. She still felt bad about what had happened, but so far, everything was going more or less according to plan. She giggled quietly to herself. Too bad she had 'forgotten' to mention to them that if she had feelings for someone and happened to make a habit of biting them, then they would become her mate. Everything was falling into place, and going according to her newly laid plans. Once again she wondered how she had gone from wanting to kill InuYasha for slaying Himura, to wanting to mate with him. She shook her head, and closed her eyes, feigning sleep.

Little did InuYasha know, as he laid down beside Sango, that he wasn't finished with Keiran's blood-sucking. Not by a long shot.

There was much much more to come, and he wouldn't like a lot of it that came by.

InuYasha awoke, feeling a bit better, and stood up slowly this time, not wanting to risk another dizzy spell. When he was on his feet, he looked around the room, noticing that Sango was gone. He felt a pang of worry, but it passed when he reminded himself that she was a full grown woman who was strong and smart, and that she had survived this long without a half demon looking over her shoulder, she could continue to do so. Besides, if she went out without telling him or waking him, then obviously she didn't want to be bothered. He sat back down, and tapped Keiran on the arm.

"Hey Keiran, wake up." He said.

She rolled over, having just been sleeping lightly, and blinked at him, yawning.

"Whaddya want?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged.

"I don't know, I just wanted to wake you up, it was boring here by myself." He said.

Keiran looked around, her black hair falling into her eyes.

"Sango isn't here?" She asked.

InuYasha shook his head.

"Nope." He said. "I don't know where she went either, but she took her weapons, so she should be fine. If she's not back in a little while, then we'll go out and look for her." He said.

Keiran smirked. "Wow, you care a lot about your girlfriends safety, don't you?" She asked. "We'll go out and look for her if she ain't back in a couple hours." She imitated, changing his words around to make him look uncaring.

InuYasha looked away from her, embarrassed. "Hey, she ain't my girlfriend, she's just a really good friend that I haven't yet gotten around to doing anything with yet." He said. "And I said a little while, not a couple hours." He corrected.

Keiran sat up, and crossed her legs, leaning close to him.

"Hmm, so now I'm your friend, if I hang around you enough, will I become a really good friend of yours that you can do stuff with too?" She asked.

InuYasha blushed, and shook his head.

"No way!" He said, leaning back away from her a bit. Keiran pouted "Aww, but I wanna do stuff with you, InuYasha." She whispered, moving closer to him. She felt her stomach twinge, and the demon inside her stirring gently, and she knew that this time it was her fault, she had no one else to blame except herself for her actions, and it looked like InuYasha was going to take the consequences for her. In other words, she was turning herself on with what she was implying with InuYasha, and InuYasha was going to take the consequences by being bitten again.

She shook her head, and knew that she couldn't do that to InuYasha. She backed away from him, and turned around, staring at the empty cabin.

InuYasha, not knowing better, leaned closer. "Hey, you okay?" He asked.

She nodded, but said nothing.

InuYasha, still not convinced, scooted closer, and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her backwards.

Keiran yelped as she felt herself fall backwards, but an arm grabbed her securely around the waist, while the hand that had grabbed her shoulder found its way to the back of her head, tilting her face in the direction of InuYasha.

InuYasha leaned over Keiran, now in his arms, and he glared down at her playfully.

"Now, you gonna tell me what that was about, or do I gotta force it out of you?" He asked, his voice low so as to not hurt her ears.

Many forbidden images flashed through her mind as she thought of many ways that he could force it out of her, and she shivered, trying vainly to conceal a low moan. She blushed, and InuYasha leaned closer, his confused eyes searching hers.

"Eh?" He asked. Keiran shook her head.

"I'm fine, InuYasha." She managed, hoping that her voice didn't shake too much. InuYasha shook his head, and didn't let go of her.

I don't think so." He said. "Nobody whose fine has a shaky voice and a beet red face."

Keiran covered her mouth, suppressing a yelp, and she shook her head.

"I-I'm fine InuYasha, honest!!" She said.

InuYasha smirked.

"Prove it." He said.

Keiran was silent for a minute, and she looked at his cute face, trying to search him for clues, a smirk or a look that would suggest he was joking. How was she supposed to prove that she was fine?

Her gaze travelled from his long fine silver hair, to his bright golden eyes, and cute nose, down to his teasing lips, set in a smirk. She looked him in the eye for a second, but found that her gaze was inevitably drawn downward, and she was very conscious of his hands on her waist and neck.

Her mouth parted slightly, and InuYasha's left puppy ear flicked forward, but there was no sound to catch. He continued to look at her, and finally, she couldn't resist.

She reached up, and put her warm hands on either side of his cool face, letting the heat from her hands sink into his skin. His eyes half closed at the warmth, and she took her chance, leaning up, closing the distance between them. She closed her eyes as her lips touched his, and she kissed him tentatively for a second, to see if he would push her away. When he didn't immediately shove her away, she tilted her head to the side a bit, and kissed him harder, moaning softly and slipping her arms around his neck.

Keiran's guilty conscience got the best of her raging hormones, and she thought of Sango. She pulled away, and stared at InuYasha, to gauge his reaction. He stared back at her, expression blank, and Keiran did nothing, afraid to even breathe, lest he kill her on the spot for doing something that was obviously only accepted from Sango.

The silence seemed to continue on forever, and just when Keiran was about to speak, InuYasha nodded slowly.

"Told you there was something wrong." He said matter-of-factly. "Your kiss sucked."

Sango drew her sword, and figured that InuYasha and Keiran would be waking up soon. She faced the demon, and again her thoughts turned to InuYasha. He was constantly saving her and slaying the demons that she couldn't, but the last straw had been when he had showed the world his human form just to save her. She loved him, and she wasn't going to put that responsibility on him. She was a damn demon slayer, she had best start acting like one.

The demon growled, and Sango knew that this one carried a jewel shard. No porcupine grew the size of a horse without some kind of magic help. She kept her hiraikotsu ready, and shifted her weight to her back leg, getting ready for any move that it might make. The demon pawed at the ground, and Sango eyed the thousands of needles on it's back that were longer than she was and as thick as her wrist. She knew her sword wouldn't stand a chance against it, and that hiraikotsu would probably do moderate damage, so she just had to make it expose a weak spot so she could stun it, then slay it with her bone boomerang.

The demon eyed her, and walked toward her, it's feet throwing up dirt as they scraped across the ground, blunt claws scarring the earth.

Sango took a step backward, then called upon her training, dashing to her right, heading toward the demon as she did so. The demon raised it's left paw to counter her, and she dashed to the left, sword raised over her head.

As the demon raised it's right paw off the ground, with it's left still in the air, it's underbelly was exposed, and Sango dropped to her knees, skidding under the demon's right arm, slashing deeply into it as she skidded to a stop. The dark red blood soaked her blade, and spattered onto the ground, making the demon growl. Sango swiftly stood up, and threw her sword into the demon's exposed stomach, the blade sinking about halfway in. The demon fell down, and Sango jumped backward to avoid the demon's fangs and claws. The demon, now injured and bleeding, slowly curled up into a ball, the spikes extending and sticking out. Sango pulled hiraikotsu off her shoulder, and threw it, smirking in satisfaction as it sliced through the air, cutting deep into the porcupine. Sango sheilded her eyes as broken bits of needles the size of her arm went shooting off in all directions, one slicing by her, cutting her leg. She winced, but she knew that she couldn't drop down, for her hiraikotsu was returning. She grabbed it, spun it around a few more times, keeping it's speed up. She took aim, and threw it one more time, cutting the dying animal in half. As hiraikotsu came back to her, she caught it and dropped it over one shoulder, walking over to retrieve the shard and her sword. She grimaced as she reached into the bloody mess to get her sword, then wondered where the shard was.

She looked around, pawing through the mess and breathing through her gas mask, and was about to give up after about ten minutes of searching, when a black pulpy mass of flesh caught her eye. She looked again, and knew that no animals heart was black and lumpy like that. She drew her sword and sliced open the heart, a shard sliding out of the mess. Sango picked it up and pocketed it, glad that she had gotten the first shard of the hunt. With that shard, she was that much closer to getting Kohaku.

She grinned to herself as she headed back to the village.

Now that she had actually killed something, her confidence was back in force, and it felt like they had finally taken a step toward killing Naraku. Sango knew that it wasn't actually a step toward killing Naraku, but she knew that the more demons she killed, the stronger she would get, and the more shards they got, the less shards Naraku had to manipulate others with. She smiled, and picked up the pace, eager to clean her weapons and show InuYasha her find.

As she walked, she reviewed what had happened, just like she had been taught.

She had gotten a tip that a particularly strong demon was in the area, and she had kept it from Keiran and InuYasha for the sole purpose of killing the thing herself and restoring her confidence. Now that that was done, the next battle would focus on exploring Keiran's battle skills, as well as weapon use and her compatibility with fighting alongside both her and InuYasha. As her mind reflected on the demon she had just slain, it became clear to her that it was much like any other mediocre demon she had slain in her past, just earning her keep. But the fact that it had a jewel shard was important. This time though, the shard's focus wasn't on evil intent, probably because a porcupine was incapable of evil thought, and it wasn't for world domination, for the porcupine was frighteningly weak. No, it just seemed that there was an abundance of jewel shards, and that the unlucky animal had stumbled upon it after the jewel shard had exploded, and digested it accidentally. The only thing the shard had done was increase it's size. Harmless.

Sango knew that they would face those types of enemies for a while, until the shards became less common. As both Naraku and InuYasha gathered shards, there would be less and less out in the world for random animals and people to find, so even if an animal did happen to find one, it would be quickly slain by others seeking the jewels power. When they got the shard almost complete, the remaining three or four shards still unfound in the world would have rapidly changed owners, each one stronger than the last, each seeking the power of the few rare shards left. That's where the battles would be most difficult, but for now, they had it easy. Sango realized that she had walked right into the village, and she continued a few steps, stopping in front of her cabin. She took a deep breath, and knew that she would have some explaining to do to InuYasha about why she was hunting shards by herself, and why she didn't tell them or warn them, but in the end she was sure they would understand.

She smiled to herself, and walked in.

"Hey guys, guess what I found?"

A/N: HA, does she walk in on the aftermath of the kiss, or something more intimate? Next chapter will tell...Please read and review.


	30. Visitors

Pure Anger 30.

Sango stopped, and stared at what she saw. InuYasha and Keiran were laying on the floor, facing each other, and breathing heavily, both red-faced. They both looked up at Sango as she entered, and the redness of their cheeks, from exhaustion, swiftly deepened to one of embarrassment. Sango slid her wary gaze to InuYasha, and saw that his face was more embarrassed out of the two of them. And he should be, after all, Sango had just walked in on him getting his ass handed to him in an arm wrestle.

"Sa-Sango!" He said, and then groaned, squeezing his eyes closed and locking his wrist, struggling to push his arm back up, his knuckles inches above the cabin floor.

She smirked, and sat down beside the pair, immediately realizing why InuYasha was losing. Keiran was making up for her lack of demonic strength by using both hands against InuYasha's single arm.

_Why is he so weak though? _She thought. _He should be able to wrestle ten men with one arm, why is he having so much trouble with one girl?_

She looked to Keiran, who was obviously struggling to put InuYasha's arm down, and when she looked back to gauge InuYasha's reaction, she saw a glimmer in his eye, and a smirk on his lips. He winked at Sango, and she nodded, suppressing a laugh. He was letting her win, or that's what he was acting like, anyway.

"Hmm, Keiran, you had your chance, I feel my strength coming back, are you ready?" He asked, flexing his bicep. Keiran shook her head.

"NOOO!" She said, and started leaning on his arm. InuYasha laughed, and let his knuckles drop a bit closer to the floor. Defeat was always so much harder to bear when you thought up to the last minute you were going to win.

Keiran grinned, and continued using both hands and most of her upper body weight to push his hand down, and when it dipped a bit closer to the wood of the floor, she felt her heart beating faster, excitement coursing through her. She might actually beat InuYasha!

InuYasha let his knuckles drop to within a centimetre of the floor, and when the look of victory was upon Keiran's face, he put some strength into it, lifting her bodily up and slamming her into the floor, laughing.

"AWW NO FAIR!" She cried, clutching her bruised right hand. "Your a cheater!" She said.

InuYasha laughed again. "Holding back is not cheating." He said. "However, if you want to talk about cheating, I can give you a few examples." He said. "Using two hands, leaning, and resting your entire upper body on the opponents wrist can be considered cheating." He said. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sound like anybody we know?" He asked. She glared at him.

"I get it!" She said grumpily. "You win." She said.

InuYasha's ear swivelled around, and he leaned a bit closer.

"Eh, what's that?" He asked.

"You win!" She said. InuYasha shook his head. "Hmm, I heard that part, but I believe you are missing a word, Keiran." He said.

She gritted her teeth, and slapped him lightly on the knee.

"Again." She spat out. "You win again."

InuYasha sat up straight, and grinned knowingly. "That's right." He said, nodding. "And don't forget that."

Keiran stuck her tongue out at him, then stood up, stretching.

"I'm going out for a walk." She said, and left, fixing her hair up in a ponytail, and tightening the white bandages around her wrists.

InuYasha watched her walk out, then turned to Sango.

"Where'd you go?" He asked her, moving closer.

She shrugged. "Just around." She said. "And I got this." She pulled out the jewel shard, and his eyes widened.

"Damn, what did you do?" He asked, and Sango noticed that his eyes became bright with excitement.

"Well, I got tired of you rescuing me all the time, and I wanted to become the warrior I once was, so I just left while you two were sleeping, and went out looking for a demon that I heard was in the area, and when I came across it I killed it." She said. "The results are the shard." She said.

InuYasha grinned, and suddenly, the scent of blood reached his nose. He stopped, and looked her up and down. When he saw nothing, he became confused. He inhaled again, and again the light scent of blood reached his nose, almost unnoticeable.

"Hey Sango, did you get wounded in that battle?" He asked.

Sango shrugged. "Yeah, I think I took a hit or two, why?"

InuYasha sniffed again. "Because you smell like blood." He said. As his eyes strayed downward, he spotted the wound, but he decided to act like he had not. Then he got an idea. An idea that would surely put her off guard, and give him an interesting way of 'finding' her wound. He looked her in the eye as he moved closer to her, making sure to never break eye contact. He leaned over her, and gently pushed her down onto her back, grabbing her wrists and pinning her to the floor. He kissed her on the lips, and she moaned slightly.

Ohh, someone's in the mood." She said jokingly. InuYasha nuzzled her neck, and kissed her throat, before sliding down further. He sniffed lightly at her chest, and licked gently at her chest, his warm tongue sending shivers up her back. He went a bit further down, and released one of her hands, only so he could rub her stomach. When he got no pain response from her, only pleasure, it told him that she wasn't wounded around the stomach area. Even though he already knew she wasn't. He continued further down, still rubbing her stomach, and when he paused to inhale lightly near her hips, he turned his golden eyes upon her, making her blush. He inhaled slightly, and along with her natural scent, the scent of blood grew slightly stronger. He continued further downward, nipping and teasing her in a few select places as he went, biting her gently through the fabric of her clothing, and nuzzling her gently, producing a slight pressure that would keep her very happy if applied in the right places. He kissed the inside of her thigh, and as his hand passed lightly over the wound on the outside of her left leg, she winced slightly. InuYasha stopped what he was doing, and Sango sighed softly.

"Your a big tease, you know that, right?" She asked.

InuYasha looked up at her innocently. "Tease?" He asked. "How did I tease you? I was merely checking your body over for wounds." He said. "Do you mean to tell me you thought we were doing something else?" He asked. Sango blushed, and InuYasha laughed.

"Hmm, someone got their hopes up for a little somethin' tonight." He said playfully. Sango glared. "Hey, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah." He said. "I did. After all, that's how you tease someone, correct?"

Sango laughed, and the sparkle in InuYasha's eye told her that he was enjoying himself, and her company. She was glad that it was just the two of them, and she wondered where the night would lead.

InuYasha's hand sought out her wound again, and once again she winced as his fingers slid lightly over the cut produced by the flying shrapnel of the earlier fight. InuYasha broke eye contact to look at the wound, and he 'tsked.'

"It could get infected if it's not treated right, you know that Sango." He said. He leaned down and licked it lightly, his tongue passing gently over the cut. Sango winced, then relaxed as some of the pain went away, courtesy of InuYasha's gentle touch. He smirked, and licked her again...

---

Keiran walked a few feet outside the edge of the village, and stopped, feeling her stomach twist. She groaned, and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her stomach was calm for a few seconds, then it started up again, twisting and making her insides feel all jumbled. She dropped to her knees, and gasped, feeling a cold sweat break out on her forehead as a sudden pain tore through her abdomen, taking the strength out of her limbs. She blinked, shook her head, and blinked again, trying to clear her swarming vision. She gagged, and experienced a few dry heaves. She coughed, and her vision grayed for a second, before coming back into color. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too weak, and she fell down again, her hands hitting the ground. She coughed again, and her vision swam as she coughed up blood. She was so disoriented she didn't even know what was wrong with herself, and she was too confused to form the coherent thought of wondering what was wrong. She felt her heart beating rapidly, and she tried to take a deep breath, but found she couldn't, as her lungs seemed to be squeezed and compressed inside her chest. She tried to support herself and keep herself off the ground, but her shaky arms gave out, and she collapsed onto the dirt. She squeezed her eyes closed, and as she breathed in through her nose, she could smell the damp earth beneath her. She felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and she wondered what it could be that could so swiftly reduce her to nothing. No illness acted that fast, none that she knew about, for sure. She groaned slightly, and felt her stomach heave again. She grimaced, and fought the pain as best she could, hoping that someone would find her, before death came for her.

---

InuYasha's head shot up, and Sango looked at him questioningly.

"What is it babe?" She asked. InuYasha pulled away from her, and she let go of his shoulder reluctantly.

InuYasha's eyebrows creased, and he glared at the doorway, where Keiran had disappeared a few minutes ago.

"I smell blood." He said. "Keiran's blood. She must be wounded very badly for me to smell such amounts of it." He said, and Sango could see by the look on his face that it was making him sick.

Sango sat up, and grabbed her sword. She stood, and pulled InuYasha up with her.

"Come on, let's go find her!" She said, and InuYasha snapped into action. He took Sango's hand, and ran out of the cabin, following Keiran's scent.

---

Keiran groaned softly as someone approached her, their feet pounding against the ground. Even though she was only a few feet outside the village, it could be anyone, and she prayed that it wasn't an enemy that was coming up behind her.

A few seconds later, her vision went blurry as she was lifted, and spun around. She squeezed her eyes closed until she stopped moving, the dizziness threatening to make her throw up again. Once she stopped spinning, she felt slight movement, and realized that they were walking.

She opened her eyes to see InuYasha's golden orbs staring down at her worriedly, and at the same time she realized that his mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear a thing that he was saying.

"I-Inu..Yasha.." She tried to speak, then realized that she could barely form words. She felt her strength rapidly dissappearing, and fright overcame her body as she realized that she was getting sleepy, and that the corners of her vision were turning black no matter how much she tried to resist it.

InuYasha stared down at the girl in his arms, and shook his head. He had found her lying face down in the dirt, blood on the ground, and blood on her chin, cheek, and front of her shirt.

"Are you okay Keiran?" He asked. She opened her eyes and InuYasha saw her pupils dilate as she focused on him. "What the hell happened to you?"

She opened her mouth, and InuYasha saw the weak, terrified look in her eyes as she spoke a single word.

"I-Inu..Yasha.." She said, and InuYasha could hear the fright in her voice, along with some other emotion he couldn't identify. Then she was unconscious, and InuYasha started fearing for his life. He looked to Sango, who was scanning the area, sword drawn, looking for enemies. InuYasha said her name softly, and when she looked at him, he tilted his head toward the village. She nodded, and they started walking.

Sango started counting her steps. She shook her head when they stepped inside the villages gates. Fourteen steps. Keiran had been found fourteen steps outside the village, and she looked like she had gotten beaten up. Sango kept on walking, and when InuYasha stopped in front of their cabin, she stepped in front of him, opening the door and holding it. InuYasha ducked inside, and Sango walked in after him, grabbing blankets and throwing them on the floor. When she had five or six of them on the floor, and she was sure that it would be comfortable to lay on, she motioned for InuYasha to lay Keiran down. He did so, very gently, and Sango placed a rolled up blanket under her head. InuYasha sat back on his haunches and stared at her, wondering what could have done this to her. He leaned over her and sniffed at her gently. No matter how many times he did, he kept coming up with just the scent of her own blood. Their was neither the metallic scent of a weapon, or the living scent of an attacker. InuYasha shook his head, and slid away from her again, still staring.

"I don't know what happened, but one thing is sure, her body is doing this itself." He said.

Sango looked at him, then back at Keiran.

"Are you sure?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, the only scent I can smell is her own, and her blood. There's no smell of a weapon, or of anyone else for that matter, there's no weapon wounds, and there wasn't any scent of anyone around the place we found her." He said. "I don't know what the hell happened back there, but something is definitely wrong with her."

Sango's heart skipped a beat, and she looked back at Keiran.

"What should we do?" She asked. InuYasha shook his head again, and ran his fingers through his silver hair. Sango then noticed that his wrist was still wrapped tightly in the white bandage, and that his neck was still adorned with Keiran's 'present.'

She smiled slightly, then turned back to Keiran, worriedly.

"I'll go see where Kaede is, you just sit tight and keep an eye on her." He said.

Sango had barely nodded, when InuYasha was gone, the door flap waving slightly in the wind. She looked at Keiran, and noticed for the first time how beautiful she really was. Her pale skin was accented by her long black hair, and her usually vibrant black eyes, which were now closed gently. Sango reached out with a damp cloth, and wiped away a sheen of sweat from the girl's forehead. She shook her head gently, and grabbed a cup of water. She gently opened the girl's mouth, and poured a few drops in. Sango, having never really examined the girl up close before, was surprised at the length of her canine teeth, and she immediately likened them to InuYasha's. She sighed, and reached out, caressing the girl's cheek. Sango stared at her for a few minutes, and in the dead silence of the cabin, she could hear the girls light breathing. Sango watched her chest rise and fall, and that's when she noticed the blood that had somehow gotten on the front of the girls shirt. She reached out, and grasped the hem of the tight black shirt that covered her body, and she swallowed nervously before pulling it up and sliding it over the girl's head. Sango sighed in relief when she saw that Keiran's breasts were bound in the same white fabric that Sango used underneath her demon slayer suit. Still, she couldn't help but feel her face heat up as she stared at Keiran's slim figure. Sango got up, and dug through the bag of stuff she had bought, but dismayed when she realized she hadn't bought anything she could use for Keiran.

Suddenly, she spotted InuYasha's fire rat haori carefully folded and placed along one wall of the cabin, and she remembered that InuYasha was still in the clothes that Keiran had bought for him. She knew he wouldn't mind lending it out, so she grabbed it, and took it over to Keiran. She unfolded the shirt, and carefully lifted Keiran up, putting the haori around her shoulders and sliding her arms into the sleeves. It was clean, and most likely a lot warmer than what she had been wearing, so it should help with whatever was wrong with her.

Now finished that, Sango was at a loss for what else she could do, so she merely sat at Keiran's side, and stared at her. She could never figure out how InuYasha did up his haori, so she had decided to leave it open for now. She stared, and felt the old blush coming back again as sher eyes travelled all over Keiran's body. She shook her head, and leaned over Keiran, listening to her breathing. It was still ragged, and slightly faster than it should have been, but at least while it wasn't good, it wasn't getting any worse.

Sango tilted her head to look at Keiran, to see if she could detect any eye movement behind the eyelids, suggesting that she might not be totally unconscious, but when she saw nothing, her worry for Keiran increased. Sango reached out and put her hand on Keiran's forehead, and her eyes widened when she felt how hot she was.

"Oh my.." She whispered. She gently pushed Keiran's bangs out of her face, then, for a reason even unknown to herself, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

Blushing heavily, she laid down beside Keiran, suddenly feeling tired. Sango reached out, and slipped her hand around Keiran's waist, pulling closer to the girl. She closed her eyes, and nuzzled Keiran's neck gently, before falling into a light sleep.

---

Keiran fought through the fog clouding her mind, and as she came slowly to her senses, opening her eyes slightly, she realized that it must have been very late in the afternoon, for almost no sunlight was entering the cabin. As her mind slowly connected to her body, she realized that she wasn't in her original shirt, and that she as very warm. When she opened her eyes fully, she realized that she was staring at Sango's sleeping face. Wondering what was going on, she looked down, and realized that Sango was pressed up against her, and that they were facing each other. Keiran blushed, and realized the postion they were in. Sango was on her side, facing Keiran, and Keiran was also on her side, facing Sango. Sango had her arm around her waist, and was pulling Keiran gently toward her. Their hips were pressed gently together, and only a few inches separated their chests. Keiran tried to pull away gently, but Sango stirred, groaning softly. Keiran froze, not wanting to wake Sango, for then her embarrassment would increase tenfold, actually having someone witness this. She stayed still, and Sango leaned closer, pressing her chest against Keiran's, and nuzzling Keiran gently. Keiran felt her heart speed up, and she couldn't help but moan when she felt Sango's warm breath on her throat. Keiran, now very embarrassed, felt herself drifting off into a haze, lulled by fatigue, the sickness attacking her body, and Sango's light breath on her throat as she nuzzled her gently. Keiran gave up on trying to resist Sango's unconscious advances, and let herself fall into the world of sleep, lest something else happen. If anything else did happen, she wanted to be asleep when it took place, so she could avoid knowing about it.

---

Running toward the village, the female slowed her pace as she started to pull ahead of her female companion. As her friend pulled level with her, she turned and smiled at her.

"Don't slow down just because of me, Sei-chan." She said. "I know of our destination, and I know how to get there, you can speed up if you want." She said.

Sei shook her head. "Nonsense." She said, shifting her katana on her back. "What kind of a friend would I be if I took off on you and left you to travel by yourself?" She asked.

The raven-haired girl smiled at her."No matter what you do, you'll always be my friend." She said.

Sei smirked to hide her embarrassment. "Indeed Kiko." She said. She looked ahead, and spotted their destination less than five minutes away, before looking back to Kiko.

"So have you decided what kind of training you want to take up yet?" She asked.

Kiko shook her head, and looked at Sei.

"No, I'm still unsure of what I want to do." She said. She looked admiringly up at Sei. "I know I'll never be as strong or athletic as you, so I'm not sure if I should become a swordsman like you, and I'm not particularly swift, so I know that I wouldn't be that great at close quarters combat, yet I'm particularly fond of those throwing knives you gave me for my birthday a few years ago."

Sei looked at her in surprise. "You still have those things?" She asked.

Kiko's bright blue eyes sparkled brightly. "Yes, they are right here." She said. She reached into her white kimono, and withdrew two perfectly forged throwing knives, perfectly weighted and balanced, both sides of the blades razor sharp.

Sei stared at them in amazement, particularly the good condition they were in. "It's been two and a half years, I can't believe you still have those!" She said.

Kiko smiled. "Well, they were an expensive gift from you, so I kept them in pristine condition." She said. She replaced the blades, and looked into Sei's bemused brown eyes as she ran.

"Tell me again, why we are travelling toward an unknown village?" She asked. Sei smiled at her language, as she often did, and wondered how she and her had gotten paired together. Kiko was neat, tidy, had excellent grammar, and was often quiet, yet polite, and wasn't much of a fighter, preferring only to cheer on and support her friends when they fought.

Sei, on the other hand, was a couple years older, was excellently skilled in the use of many weapons, was kind of loud, could be really impolite if she wanted to, and lacked the perfect speech that Kiko often employed.

"We're heading toward the village up ahead to seek out the group that I've recently heard about, they are supposedly good warriors, and are intent on collecting the jewel, and destroying the evil bastard known as Naraku." She said.

Kiko nodded. "Ahh, yes, the half demon Naraku, the one who seeks to use the Shikon No Tama to wreak evil upon these lands." She said. "Indeed, if they are as you say, then they could be powerful allies in your fight to destroy Naraku." She said.

Sei looked at her. "Yeah, he's the one." She said. Then she thought about the conversation that they had gotten off track from.

"So anyway, there are tons of weapons for you to choose from." She said. "There are swords, knives, your own body, and even custom weapons that you create yourself." She said. Kiko looked at her.

"Custom weapons, you say?" She asked.

Sei nodded. "Yeah, one of the girls in this group supposedly carries a large bone boomerang into battle, graced with the name Hiraikotsu." She said. "I haven't actually seen her perform in battle before, but I have heard from those who have that she is amazing, and performs extraordinarily well." She said. "Meeting these people should be interesting."

Kiko nodded. "Yes, I too am looking forward to the meeting." She said.

---

InuYasha growled, and kicked down the hut's door, pointing at a surprised Kaede in mid-sip from a cup of tea.

"Figures you'd be in the last damn hut in the village you old hag!" He said, and a female sitting across from Kaede smiled winningly at him.

"Why, hello there InuYasha, care to join us for a cup of tea?" She asked. InuYasha glared, and shook his head.

"No, sorry, I can't, there's more pressing matters upon us back at our hut." He said.

"C'mon Kaede, Keiran has been wounded, and we don't know how or where." He said harshly. Kaede rose as swiftly as her old joints would allow, then followed InuYasha across the middle of the village, struggling to keep up with InuYasha's swift pace.

"Slow down InuYasha, surely the wounds can't be life-threatening." She said. InuYasha growled lightly, angered at himself for his own helplessness.

"Well, I don't _know_ if they're life-threatening or not!" He said, and Kaede caught a bit of emotion in his voice, which really surprised her.

"InuYasha, have you come to care for this girl named Keiran?" She asked lightly. InuYasha growled again, and kept walking.

"She's a friend alright?" He asked. "And right now I don't know whether she's living or dying, so don't start thinking there's feelings where there are none." He said.

Kaede nodded sagely. "Indeed." She said, and kept walking.

InuYasha opened the door to the hut, and walked in, stopping at what he saw.

Sango and Keiran were laying on the floor, both asleep, cuddling together and holding each other tightly. Kaede came in behind him, and peeked around him.

"Hmmm." She said, nodding seriously.

"Life-threatening wounds indeed." She said.

InuYasha, blushing heavily, hit Kaede on the top of the head.

"Well she was bleeding out of the mouth when I found her!" He snarled. "What they are doing now ain't my fault!"

Awakened by the noise, Sango raised her head, and realized that she was holding very tightly onto Keiran. She yelped, and pulled away, looking up to find that she had an audience.

"Um, ah, she was cold so I ah, lent her my body heat, then fell asleep." She said lamely, trying to come up with an excuse. She looked to InuYasha, and saw that he was staring at her with an indecipherable look on his face, and she blushed, burying her face in her hands. She groaned, and knew that she would never forgive herself if she lost InuYasha because he had thought that she had turned to women. She shuddered, and, while not totally disgusted by the idea, knew that she wanted InuYasha more than anything, and cuddling with Keiran wasn't the best way to get it. She looked up when she felt a hand on the top of her head, and she saw InuYasha staring at her, a grin on his face.

"Come on." He said. "Help me explain to Kaede what's wrong with Keiran." He said.

Sango nodded. "Ah, yes."

---

Sei skidded to a stop outside the village, and looked at the few men patrolling the entrance to the village.

"Hey!" She shouted, catching their attention. One of them came walking over, and she pulled her hands out of her kimono to show them that she had no concealed weapons, save for the sword on her back. As the man came to a stop in front of her, she could see the wariness in his eyes, and the way his hand tensed on his sword handle at his side.

"I would like to request entrance to your village, so that I might seek out one named InuYasha." She said. The man looked at her for a second, then visibly relaxed.

"Oh, was that all you needed?" He asked. Then he laughed. "Sorry, admittance to the village is free, just walk in." He said. "Then just ask any passerby to point out InuYasha's cabin." He said. "Sorry about that, people usually only approach us when there's trouble with demons." He said. He took his hand off his sword handle.

"Just let yourself in, ma'am." He said. She nodded to him.

"Thanks." She said. Behind her, she knew that Kiko was bowing to the man.

"Yes, thank you very much." She said in her soft, elegant voice. They continued walking, and no sooner were they inside the village walls, when someone passed them, carrying a load of wood.

"Good evening to ye." He said politely as he passed them. She raised her hand, and he halted.

"Um, do you know where we can find InuYasha?" She asked. The man smiled. "Certainly!" He said. He pointed deeper into the village.

"Just go that way, until you come to a large empty circle, the centre of the village." He said. "Then, walk right through it, and continue on, until you come to the other side of the village. There will be a lone hut apart from the others, that one will house InuYasha and his gang." He said.

She nodded, and thanked him, once again hearing her thanks echoed by her friend Kiko. She walked, and Kiko pulled up beside her. As they walked, Sei noticed that their hands would occaisionally slip past each other, touching briefly. She struggled to hold her concentration, knowing that she owed it to Kiko to concentrate.

She raised her hand and put it on the sixteen year old's shoulder. "Now, stay close to me, because we are in an unfamiliar village surrounded by unfamiliar people." She said. "Since I'm eighteen, all legal matters will be handled by me." She said. "If the need arises."

Kiko nodded, and turned to Sei. "I know that babe, loosen up." She said, temporarily falling out of her natural-born perfect speech.

Sei blushed at hearing her say babe, and this got a giggle from Kiko.

"Hehe, that always gets you." She said. "You think you'd be used to it by now, eh?" She asked.

Sei nodded. "Yeah, except that's a pet name, and we have no relationship." She said. "So it's kind of awkward." She said.

Kiko blushed slightly. "Of course." She said. "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to think that I'm...like that." She said softly. Sei shrugged. "No, I didn't think that, I know you were just playing around." She said. "The only reason I let you call me babe is because of our seven years of friendship." She said. "I know you aren't like that." She said.

Kiko smiled. "Indeed, shall we proceed?"

Sei nodded. "Lets."

---

Kaede was giving Keiran a quick inspection, and was only halfway through poking and prodding the now conscious girl, when she figured she knew what was wrong aleady.

She finished checking Keiran, just in case it was something else, then nodded.

"I know what happened." She said.

InuYasha leaned forward. "What happened?" He asked.

Kaede let Keiran put InuYasha's haori back on, and she did so swiftly, her modestly impeded on even though her breasts were wrapped.

"She had an alergic reaction to your blood, InuYasha." She said.

InuYasha flinched. "Ah, you know about that, do you?" He asked.

Kaede grinned. "I know everything, child." She said.

Keiran blushed. "How can I be allergic to him?" She asked. "He tastes so sweet!"

Realizing what she had said, she looked around as an awkward silence pervaded the room.

She blushed, then looked down at her toes. Then Kaede spoke. "You merely had a reaction to a particularly strong emotion in the blood, and your body refused the blood, making you throw it back up. After that, your body started sweating and raisng it's internal temperature, to purge out any remaining blood that was in your body." She said. "Resulting in the fever. You are back to health now, and should be fine, lest ye take another drink of InuYasha's blood." She said.

Keiran was about to speak up, when there was a knock at the door. She paused, and wondered who it could be.

InuYasha jumped up, and yanked aside the door flap, staring at the two girls that were outside.

"Who are you?" He asked, looking at them with suspicion.

One girl was a few inches taller than the othe one, and it was the tall one that smirked. "Hmm, guess the stories were true, he looks good but his attitude sucks." She said. InuYasha watched in confusion as the shorter girl gently elbowed the older one.

"Sei! Shush! Please be polite!" She said. "May we please come in?" She asked.

InuYasha moved aside, and motioned them in.

"Who are you?" He asked.

The taller one sat down, and nodded to InuYasha.

"My name is Seiku." She said. InuYasha's nose wrinkled slightly at the name. "Doesn't sound like a name you would hear around here..." He said.

Sei glared at him. "Who cares?" She asked. "InuYasha isn't that great a name either, so watch it." She said. InuYasha raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know my name?" He asked.

Sei shrugged. "I've heard things." She said. InuYasha watched her look him over, and he took the time to do the same, watching her pull her black hair into a tight black ponytail. She was wearing a pair of blue shorts, which seemed to be becoming the new style these days, and a blue sleevless shirt, that came down over the waist of her pants.

"This is my friend Kiko." She said, and Kiko bowed.

"Nice to meet you." She said, sitting down next to Sei. InuYasha nodded. "Likewise." He said.

He turned, and pointed behind him.

"My name is InuYasha, as you know, and behind me is Keiran, Sango, and Kaede." He said, as each of them in turn raised a hand as their names were called.

Kiko smiled. "Nice to meet you all." She said.

InuYasha glared at Sei, who glared back. "What brings you two here?" He asked.

Sei instantly stopped glaring, and she took on a more polite tone.

"We've come here to join your demon hunting group, to help you gather shards and slay Naraku." She said.

InuYasha's eye gleamed when she mentioned Naraku, and that didn't go unnoticed by her.

"We think we could be valuable to your group." She said.

InuYasha shrugged.

"Welcome to our group." He said.

Sei gaped. "That easy?" She asked. "Isn't there some kind of test we have to pass to prove ourselves?"

InuYasha looked at her. "It isn't just anybody who decides to go hunting after Naraku." He said softly. "If your hunting him, you must have a reason, and that reason is proof enough." He said. "Welcome to our group."

Sei looked around a bit uncomfortably at the welcoming faces around her, and the one named Keiran in particular caught her eye. She could see right away that this one wasn't totally human. Unlike InuYasha though, her marks weren't as visible as his ears. She had noticed right away the fangs, but it was something deeper, an aura that this girl gave off, that told her she wasn't human.

"Thanks for letting us join." She said. "We look forward to fighting alongside you and proving ourselves a worthy ally."

InuYasha smiled, and motioned for them to come closer, and make themselves at home.

"Now, care to share a bit about yourselves?" He asked.

Sei shrugged. "Sure, why not?" She asked.

"Our journey began about five days ago, we travelled from the west in search of the group who ran under the leader called InuYasha, and when we set out five days ago, we had no idea if we were even searching for real people." She said. "We travelled from village to village asking about you, and what little info we could get out of people who wanted to first make sure that we weren't after you to attack you led us here." She said. "You might not know it InuYasha, but your name is very known abroad, and a lot of people seem to know about you." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Go on." He said thoughtfully.

Kiko spoke up.

"So you know now that we were looking for you, now to explain why." She said. "There's two parts to it, the first being to find and kill Naraku." She said. Sango looked at her. "And the second?" She asked. Kiko looked at her, and smiled. "To witness Sango in action with her Hiraikotsu, and finally find me a style of weapon suited to my needs." She said.

Sango blushed lightly.

"Y-you want to see me in a fight?" She asked.

Kiko nodded. "Yes, we hear that your skill with your large bone boomerang is amazing." She said. Sango blushed lightly. "Oh, thank you." She said. "I'll show you my Hiraikotsu tomorrow." She said.

Kiko smiled happily at her. "Pleased to meet you Sango, and I'm glad you are willing to show us your skills." She said. InuYasha slid his gaze from the brassier one named Sei, to the soft-spoken girl named Kiko, and noticed that she was dressed up in a pure white kimono, and she looked beautiful in it. He smiled at her, and she noticed this, immediately blushing, yet not halting her conversation with Sango.

Sei noticed InuYasha smiling at Kiko, and when she blushed, Sei grimaced. She put her arm around her friend's shoulder, and pretended to give her a friendly hug. What she was really doing was hiding from everyone else, so that only InuYasha could see her face. She glared at him, and shook her head, never breaking eye contact. InuYasha nodded at her, and she pulled away from Kiko, smiling happily. Now that she had that straightened out...

"How long have you two known each other?" InuYasha asked.

Kiko pulled Sei into a hug, and laughed at her embarrassment. "Six or seven years." She said happily. "And Sei is the strongest, coolest, most reliable friend I've ever had!" She said. Sei blushed, and Kiko giggled. Sei pulled away, and straightened her pants, sliding her sword and sword sheath off her back and placing it on the floor.

"Aww, don't act so modest Sei-chan!" She said, grabbing her arm. Kiko leaned against Sei, and smiled at the group around them.

"Sei-chan is a great swordsman, and has saved me from danger numerous times, with a dedication and fury that I've never witnessed before." She said. "She's my absolute best friend, and nothing will ever change that."

InuYasha laughed.

"Haha, that's cute." He said. Sei's blush darkened, and she pulled away from Kiko.

"What about you?" She asked. "What's your groups story?" She asked, changing the subject.

InuYasha smirked. "Well, I'm mainly in this battle for personal revenge, as well as to settle a debt." He said. Sango looked at him out of the corner of his eye, and wondered what he was meaning when he said he had to settle a debt. She decided to ask him later.

Kiko turned to Sango.

"And what is your dilemma, Lady Sango, if you don't mind sharing?" She asked.

Sango nodded. "I joined forces with InuYasha a while ago in pursuit of Naraku for a deeply personal reason." She said. "I won't go into details right now, but I'm thinking that you two also have your reasons for pursuing him." She said.

Sei nodded. "Yeah, I got a reason alright." She said, and left it at that.

Keiran sighed, and inturrupted.

"Okay, enough talk about all that stuff, what do ya say we get some food?" She asked.

Everyone nodded, and Keiran and Sango started to prepare food for everyone.

---

InuYasha sighed, and sat down against the wall, Sango sitting beside him. Kaede had returned to the hut InuYasha had taken her from after the food had been served, and Kiko and Sei had left to go look around.

"So what do you think of those two?" He asked.

Sango stared at the opposite wall of the cabin for a second, forming her thoughts.

"It was a bit sudden, and everything was thrust upon us, and we barely know anything about them, but I'd say that they would be very useful allies in our fight." She said.

"Of course, that goes without saying that we still need to test their fighting abilities." She said.

Keiran, on InuYasha's other side, spoke up.

"Yeah, did you see the length of that sword that Sei person was carrying?" She asked. "I bet she's plenty skilled, but I doubt that the Kiko chick will be of much use."

InuYasha shrugged.

"We can't place too much importance on first impressions." He said. "All will be settled tomorrow when we test them out." He said. Sango nodded.

"Yeah, but maybe we could be totally wrong about Kiko too." She said. "After all, we didn't see any weapons, maybe she uses concealed weapons, and has the innocent look to throw her enemies off." She said.

InuYasha considered it.

"Hmm, maybe, but I doubt it." He said.

Keiran sighed. "We'll find out." She said.

---

Sei smiled as she watched Kiko explore all the shops that were, surprisingly, open at this time of night. Sei watched on with contentment as she saw Kiko as she was, a very happy girl. Sei had been providing for and protecting Kiko for about seven years, even when she was just a kid herself. But now, to see Kiko coming into maturity with such ease and grace was a real gift, and Sei was glad that she was able to protect Kiko from the harsh people in the world. Sei herself had seen too many things that she wished she had not seen, but it was all worth it to ensure that Kiko never experienced the things that she had. Sei's brow creased, and she once again remembered her vow to protect Kiko and to slay Naraku for what he did.

She continued along that train of thought for awhile, before a voice inturrupted her.

"Sei? Are you okay?" Kiko asked, slightly worried.

Sei shook her head, and blinked, looking at Kiko.

"What?" She asked.

Kiko giggled, the trace of worry dissappearing from her voice. "I was asking if you were okay, you were just staring at me with a lost expression on your face." She said. Sei blushed.

"I-I'm sorry Kiko." She said.

Kiko touched her arm. "Do not worry about it, it is alright." She said. "But I think I'm ready to leave this shop now." She said. "There are still many more to visit."

Sei nodded. "Okay, lead the way Kiko."

---

InuYasha yawned, and laid down. It was now past midnight, and Kiko and Sei still weren't back, so he was going to bed. Sango tried to stay up to wait for them, but with no one to make conversation with, she swiftly bacame tired, and laid down next to InuYasha, smiling at how swiftly he had fallen asleep. Keiran was also asleep, taking up InuYasha's left side, so Sango laid down on his right, getting comfortable and snuggling up to him. Within minutes, she was sleeping soundly, along with the rest of them.

---

Sei grinned at Kiko, and sat down, motioning for Kiko to sit next to her. She did, and Keiran ordered two drinks for them from the person attending the bar. When their drinks came, Sei toasted their successful journey, and their new beginning to find and destroy Naraku. Kiko grinned happily, and it was at that moment that it really hit Sei, how much her childhood friend had grown up to be a beautiful young woman. She blushed lightly as she cast her eyes over Kiko's body, finding curves in all the right places. Sei longed to reach out and carress Kiko's cheek, and whisper in her ear all the things that she wanted to do to her, and how much fun they could have together...

"Sei-chan?"

Sei was broken out of her thoughts by Kiko leaning up close to her, looking her in the eye.

"Ahh, Kiko, what is it?" She asked.

"You were spacing out again." She said softly, and Sei laughed.

"Oh, sorry about that." She said. Kiko smiled, and placed her hand on Sei's knee.

"Not a problem, Sei-chan." She said. Sei fell silent as she tried to control the thoughts running around in her head, and she knew that she couldn't afford to have such thoughts. Kiko was a close friend, and Sei knew she should be disgusted with herself for having such thoughts and allowing herself to think that they could have such a relationship without any problems, as she had often dreamed at night.

Sei shook her head, and reached up to undo her pony-tail, smiling at Kiko. It was best to keep such thoughts to ones-self, and to only think such thoughts inside one's dreams.

"Well, sorry we couldn't do more things today Kiko." She said, "But it is getting rather late out, so perhaps we should return to the cabin." She said.

Kiko nodded, and finished her drink, standing up.

"Indeed, if they stayed up all night waiting for us, then I'm afraid we have made a very bad first impression." She said, reaching into her kimono.

Sei caught the movement, and swiftly reached into her own, beating Kiko to it. She grabbed money, and placed it on the counter, just as Kiko reached out to pay the man.

"Thanks Kiko, but I have this one." She said.

Kiko smiled, and put her money away. "Wow, so far you've paid for everything this entire trip." She said. "I owe you so much now."

Sei shook her head. "You owe me nothing, Kiko." She said. "Your close friendship is enough."

Kiko smiled, and walked away, motioning for Sei to follow. Sei did, and when she caught up, she was caught off guard when Kiko turned to her, and smiled.

"Thanks for spending time with me tonight Sei." She said. Sei was about to reply, but Kiko put a finger to Sei's lips, silencing her.

"Just walk, babe." She said, and Sei blushed as Kiko slipped her hand into Sei's. Once Sei got over her initial embarrassment, they walked, heading for the hut.

---

Sei yawned, and took off her shirt, and her shorts, revealing her wrapped breasts, and tight fitting short shorts. Everyone was asleep, except herself and Kiko, and she would be covered up, so she felt justified in doing so. Sei laid down, and pulled her blanket up around her chin, watching Kiko slowly undress. For Sei, who was now imagining endless possibilites to end the night, it was an erotic show as Kiko slipped off her white kimono and revealed her finely curved body. Sei watched as she let her black hair out of her pony-tail, and began combing it in slow, steady strokes.

About ten minutes later, Kiko was finished, and she slipped under the blankets with Sei, as she had done many times before, for many years without fail. This time though, Sei was unprepared as Kiko slipped unusually close, and slipped her arms around Sei's naked waist.

Sei gasped, and Kiko giggled. "Sorry, were my hands cold?" She asked.

Sei shook her head. "N-no, it was just unexpected, that's all." She said.

Kiko was silent, and Sei suspected that she was drifting off to sleep, and just when she was about to fall asleep herself, Kiko's low voice reached her ears.

"Thanks again, Sei." She said softly.

Sei, almost asleep, was confused.

"Hmm?" She asked. "For what?"

Kiko blushed, though it was invisible to Sei.

"For everything you've ever done for me." She said, and hugged Sei tight.

Sei's breath caught in her throat as Kiko nuzzled her softly, and she felt Kiko's warm breath on her neck. She felt her heart beating faster, and her chocolate brown eyes widened as she felt Kiko's hips being pressed against her own.

"K-Kiko?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

Kiko nodded slightly, and pressed herself against Sei even more.

"I'm just glad to have such a good friend as you, even with all we've been though you never once did anything that would benefit yourself more than me, you always put me first, and took excellent care of me, and I often find myself wondering how and if I can ever pay you back." She said.

"Well, I have a few ideas..." She whispered to herself, wryly, but Kiko heard.

"Yeah?" She asked. "Well, please tell me so that I might begin to repay the kindness you've shown me the last several years." She said.

Sei blushed as she thought of Kiko actually doing what she had been thinking of, and she would have slapped herself if her arms weren't pinned to her side by the beautiful girl hugging her so tightly.

"N-nevermind, forget I said anything." She said.

Kiko scowled in mock anger, but then felt extremely sleepy.

"Okay, I will drop it for now, but one day I'll find a way to repay you." She said softly. Sei nodded. "Yeah, maybe you will." She said softly. "Not that I want any payment though." She said.

Kiko squeezed her gently. "But your going to get it!" She said.

Sei was silent, and a few seconds later, she felt Kiko yawn.

"G'night Sei-chan." She said, kissing Sei's neck gently.

"G-g-good night Kiko." She stuttered, feeling her face heat up.

Kiko drifted into sleep almost right away, but Sei stayed up a little while longer, wondering why Kiko was being so touchy-feely lately.

She sighed, and decided that in the end, the only way was to ask, so she planned on doing just that tomorrow morning. With that, she let herself fall into sleep, taking this chance to hold on tightly to Kiko, as she had often dreamed, not ever wanting to let go. And she wouldn't let go, ever, even if 'ever' was just for the rest of tonight.

Sei smiled, and knew that someday, if she tried enough, she would have Kiko all to herself, like she wanted. But for now, all she had to do was watch over Kiko and keep protecting her like she had been, and hope and pray that Kiko never found out how Sei thought of her when she was alone.


	31. Sei Better Than Sango?

Pure Anger 31.

Kiko awoke, and yawned, stretching. She opened her eyes, and as she came to her senses, she realized that she was hugging Sei tightly around the waist. She blushed, and pulled away, before Sei woke up and caught her. She sat up, and saw that the cabin was empty. She reached beside her and pulled on her kimono, doing it up. Kiko cast a glance at Sei sleeping beside her, and smiled softly. She was so beautiful, but she never took any time to realize it, she was far too busy with protecting Kiko.

Kiko leaned down, and carressed Sei's cheek gently. The sleeping girl moaned softly, and Kiko blushed, pulling away. She stared at her for a few seconds more, then she rose, and was about to start making food, when she saw a plate of pre-made food sitting on the floor. She carefully uncovered it to reveal a large meal, and she decided to wake Sei, so they could eat together.

She picked up the food, and carried it carefully over to where Sei was laying, now half uncovered since Kiko had gotten up and moved the blankets. She sat down cross-legged beside Sei, and gently shook her shoulder.

"Sei-chan..." She said quietly. Sleeping lightly, Sei awoke without further effort, and blinked sleepily at Kiko.

"Mmmnn, whatcha doin' Kiko?" She asked sleepily, stretching. Kiko giggled, and took this chance to tickle Sei's sides viciously, making her double over, grabbing at Kiko's hands and laughing.

"H-Hey, no tickling when I first get up!" She said, laughing and trying to fend off Kiko's hands. Kiko smirked, and let up, resting her hand on Sei's bare hip. "The group has apparently vacated the place, but left us food." She said. "It is my guess that they are out somewhere close by though, for some of their possessions are still here."

Sei nodded, and sat up, picking at the food that Kiko had placed in front of her.

"So, how was your sleep last night?" Sei asked casually.

Kiko smiled at her. "As peaceful as ever with you here to protect me, Sei-chan." She said. Sei nodded. "Hmm, you got a bit close last night, any particular reason why?" She asked.

Kiko blushed, and Sei held up her hands, not wanting to offend her.

"It wasn't like I minded at all, I was just wondering if there was a reason." She said.

"Ahh, yes, it was a bit cold last night, and, sleeping in the same room as three new people, it got to me, especially with my back open to them, so I got as close to you as I could, in order to put distance between myself and them." She said.

Sei nodded slowly. "Ahh, I see." She said. "Indeed, if you still feel uncomfortable tonight, then feel free to cuddle again." She said. "I'll protect you." She said. _And I rather enjoyed the feel of your body against mine, _She didn't add.

---

InuYasha drew his fang, and immediately unleashed a weak Wind Scar, slicing mini scars through the earth. Sango watched on in surprise, then laughed.

"Wow InuYasha, that really sucked!" She said. InuYasha growled lightly. "Hey, it's gonna be weak if I'm giving myself two obstacles to overcome." He said.

Sango looked at him interestedly.

"And what might these two obstacles be?" She asked, casually reaching up and catching her massive bone boomerang as it sliced through the air over her head.

InuYasha sheathed his sword, and turned to face Sango.

"One, I'm not calling the attack as I do it, thus reducing the power it has." He said. "I don't know why, but screaming out your attack name really gives it a big boost." He said. "I'm purposefully not calling it out so that it can be a surprise attack, and second, I'm performing the move as soon as I draw my sword, not giving me time to power up properly and find the scar of the wind." He said. "So it's gonna be a little weak until I can master it."

Sango nodded. "Hey, yeah, that's a good idea." She said. She spun her giant bone boomerang over her head, feeling it's immense weight hanging over her, before throwing it forcefully toward a distant target. The boomerang sliced through the air, and Kiko and Sei looked up to watch it deftly cleave the target in two, before coming back in a wide circle, heading for Sango.

Sango jumped up and caught her weapon, spinning it around a few times before sliding it onto her back. She landed on the ground, and dropped her boomerang to the ground, dashing forward and drawing her sword.

She attacked a few remaining targets with her sword, leaving deep gashes in the wood of the dummies, slashing off straw heads and arms. In a few seconds, four wooden training dummies were head and armless, thus defeated. If they were real enemies, they would be dead. Sango sheathed her sword and backed up, turning to find Kiko smiling widely at her and clapping.

"Very good Sango!" She said. "I especially liked your amazing display of coordination and strength with your Hiraikotsu!" She said. She reached out, and Sango smiled a bit as she realized that Kiko wanted a high-five. Sango did so, and didn't notice the jealousy in Sei's eyes as she watched her friend compliment Sango.

Sei said nothing, and realized that she would have to out-perform Sango to win Kiko's applause. She grimaced, and wondered why she should even bother. Immediately she remembered the feel of Kiko's body against hers last night, and knew that was reason enough to make sure that Kiko didn't get too close to the demon slayer, or worse. the hanyou. She drew her longsword, and began a smooth series of practice strokes, loosening up her wrists, arms, shoulders and back. As she did so, she caught sight of Kiko turning to stare at her with the admiration that had been directed at Sango a few seconds ago, but ignored it, concentrating instead on her sword. After a few minutes, she was breathing a bit heavier, and her heart was pumping, but she was just getting warmed up. Her limbs now felt a bit looser, and she grinned. Time to see just how good Sango was. She reversed her blade, so that the cutting edge was facing her, then jumped toward Sango, slashing down toward her exposed back, slicing with the dull edge.

Sango, talking to InuYasha, noticed his eyes flick over her shoulder, then widen a bit. She didn't even wait for him to shout a warning, she immediately knew something was up. Before InuYasha could even open his mouth to say anything, she had whirled around and brought her sword up, blocking Sei's attack. She smirked, and Sei tilted her head to the side a bit.

"I"m not really attacking you, you know, but to fully simulate a combat experience, one has to prepare for attacks from the rear." She said, before pulling her sword away and slashing at Sango's knees.

Swiftly, Sango turned her left leg to the outside a bit as she also reversed her sword, before aiming for Sei's shoulder, not even bothering to block the impending slash.

Too late Sei realized her mistake. Sango wasn't going to block her sword at all, and Sei realized this as her sword contacted Sango's shin guard, and slid off harmlessly. Sei barely ducked in time to avoid what would have been a bruising blow, and she jumped back, bringing her sword up into a guard. Once again she reminded herself that while anticipating an enemies movements could be beneficial, if done wrong, there could be serious consequences. Sei slowly slid her left leg backwards, then reversed her dominant hand.

Sango's eyes widened as she saw this, and she tightened her grip on her sword. What Sei had done was a huge move, even if it didn't look it. Sango took a quick second to analyze the now vast range of potential moves available to Sei, before attacking.

Sango's dominant hand was her left hand, which meant that in a one handed grip, her sword was in her left hand, and covered most of the left side of her body. However, with a two handed grip, her right hand came and gripped the bottom section of the handle, bringing the sword closer to the middle of her body, and giving her a better defensive range. Also, it allowed better control of the sword, and better power and flexibility in attacks. But the handle of the sword was still pointed toward her left foot, with the point aimed at her right shoulder. Most, if not all of her attacks would be from her left side, if done one handed, and most counters would have all their power coming from her left hand, while the flexibility and ease of use coming from her right hand. When you saw an opponents dominant hand, and saw a few of their moves, it was pretty easy to assume their attacks, attack directions, speed and angle. For Sei, who had been using her right hand as a dominant hand, to suddenly switch to a left-hand dominant grasp, was to leave Sango totally confused and off guard to incoming attacks, until she had a chance to adjust.

All this went through Sango's mind as she took a step toward Sei, and even though she knew it was going to happen, she was still thrown off when Sei's sword came up from the left to the right, instead of the right to the left as it had a few seconds ago. Sango barely parried a shot aimed at her hip, before countering with a slash at Sei's chest. Sei swiftly reversed her grip, throwing Sango off again as Her right hand now took dominance, blocking the slash with ease.

Sango slipped her sword off Sei's, and heard Kiko cheering Sei's name from a couple paces away, to her left. Sango dashed forward with a thrust of her sword, aimed at Sei's stomach, with the sword in her left hand of course, leaving her entire right side open to attack. But Sango figured that was okay, because Sei's sword was in her right hand, and, being opposite of Sango, Sei could only attack Sango's left side, which was guarded.

Sei grinned as Sango made her mistake, thrusting forward with her sword. Sei swiftly judged speed and distance, and side-stepped the thrust, throwing her sword from her right hand to her left hand. As her left hand closed around her sword hilt, she felt Sango's sword slice through the air inches from her right breast. Sei brought her left arm around in a sweeping arc, and as she did so, she used her right arm to reach around the still moving sword, under it, and grasp the bottom of her sword hilt in her right hand. Using her left hand as a fulcrum point, she pushed on the bottom of her sword's handle as hard as she could to the left, making the tip slice viciously through the air, the tip cutting through Sango's side with ease, even though the sword was reversed.

Sango winced, and clutched her side as she lowered her sword to her side, grinning at Sei. Sei smiled back, and sheathed her sword, holding her hand out to Sango. Sango accepted it, and let her help her up. Sei glanced at the wound, and saw blood running over Sango's fingers in streaks, before looking up to Sango's face.

"Sorry about that, Sango, I didn't mean to wound you." She said.

Sango shook her head. "It's okay, no worries." Sango, still holding Sei's hand, shook it, then let go. "Good fight." She said.

Sei nodded. "You too." She said.

Suddenly, Sei was almost knocked over as Kiko tackled her from the side, laughing.

"You won Sei!" She said. "I was a bit worried though when Sango did that sword thrust though, it looked pretty swift." She said. Sei nodded. "Yes, it was quite a quick move." She said.

Sango grinned. "That is some real talent you have there, Sei." She said. Sei looked at her. "What do you mean?" She asked, puzzled.

Sango tossed her sword from hand to hand a few times. "You know, the whole switching hands thing, it's pretty neat." She said.

Sei looked down at her hands, as she realized that she did indeed have a special ability.

"Hmm, I never noticed that before." She said casually. "It must have developed on it's own." She said. Sango's eyes widened, and InuYasha nodded in surprised agreement.

"That makes it even more spectacular." He said. "For an ability like that to just develop itself." He said. "I know that if I wanted to be ambidextrous it would take me many many months of training, and even then, my opposite hand would never be as good as my dominant hand." He said. "That is incredible."

Sei smiled. "Thanks." She said. Kiko giggled, and slipped her hand into Sei's.

"Let's go find a bathing spring." She suggested. Sei thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Yes, and while we're there, we can discuss your future weapons training." She said. Sei let go of Kiko's hand, and tried hard to ignore the slight pang of regret she felt after glimpsing Kiko's hurt expression out of the corner of her eye, neverminding that it had only lasted half a second.

Sango nodded. "Ah yes, I can show you some good springs, then bathe with you, unless you require privacy." She said. Sei shook her head. "It would be cool if you could bathe with us." She said. "You could lend a lot of knowledge to our talk about weapons." She said. Kiko nodded. "Yes, your presence will be most enjoyed." She said.

InuYasha covered a laugh with a short, barking cough at the thoughts that those words had conjured, and sheathed his sword. "I'll be in the hut making food, so come back whenever you feel ready." He said over his shoulder, as he walked through the field, toward the hut.

Sango sighed in mild contentment as she sunk into the steaming water, and she closed her brown eyes to enjoy it as she felt the water ripple against her chest. A few seconds later, the soft sound of clothes being dropped reached her ears, then the quiet splashing of water as the other two girls slipped into the water.

"Ahh, so hot!" Kiko said, giggling, and Sei said nothing as she sat down in the water, breathing lightly through her nose as the water came up over her mouth. Kiko immediately dunked her whole body underwater, whilst Sei and Sango decided to keep their hair dry for now. Sango had hers up in a ponytail, to make sure it didn't get wet for now. Kiko waded out to the centre of the hot spring, where the water was deeper than she was tall, and for a second, she was lost through the steam that rose off the water. Sei's heartbeat quickened as she dissappeared, but the spike of adrenaline ebbed away when she reappeared a few seconds later, unharmed and wading back toward Sei with a coy smile on her face.

"Hey, Sei..."

Sango was a couple meters away from Sei, and only had intermittent glimpses of her through the steam, but she figured it was okay, because by the sounds of things, they wanted their privacy. Sango grinned to herself as splashing and whispering through the steam, but couldn't hear what they were saying.

Sei blushed as she glimpsed Kiko's naked, wet upper body, and kept her eyes riveted on Kiko's face. Kiko leaned down and rested her chin on Sei's bent knees, staring at her.

"You can't just sit there Sei, you gotta wash up." She whispered. Sei nodded, staring at her. "I'll wash up, don't worry Kiko." She said. Kiko smiled, and raised her hands up out of the water to caress Sei's legs, sending a shiver up her spine. "Oh yeah, I forgot, that's your job." She said.

Sei shook her head slightly, to get rid of the slightly euphoric feelings running through her body, and looked at Kiko.

"What's my job?" She asked.

"To worry." Kiko smirked.

Sei grinned, and reached below the waters surface, to capture Kiko's hands, where they had slid down her legs and were now resting on her hips. She picked up Kiko's hands, and rested them on her knees, which were barely above the surface of the water.

"Of course I worry." She said softly. "Although I try not to show it, I do care about you, and it is my duty to see that you are safe, so I'm going to make sure you are." She said.

Kiko nodded. "How come you try not to show that you care about me?" She asked. "Your my best friend, you should be able to show some affection." She said.

Sei shrugged. "The less it seems that I care about you, the less of a chance that you will be hurt by someone intent on hurting me." She said. "If it wasn't for that, then you know I'd show that I care for you."

Kiko smiled. "It's okay though, as long as your my best friend, I'll have all I've ever wanted and needed."

Sei smiled sadly, then looked away before her friend could notice it.

"I've almost got everything I've ever wanted and needed." She said softly.

"What is it that you are missing, Sei?" She asked.

Sei looked at her, and smiled, running her fingers through Kiko's damp hair.

"Nothing you need to worry about, babe." She said.

Kiko smiled happily at the pet name and fondling, rare signs of care from her friend.

"Say, can you tell me why you strive so hard to protect me?" She asked.

Sei smiled weakly, getting slightly nervous now that they were treading on paths leading to forbidden memories.

"Your my friend, that's reason enough." She said evasively. "Are you saying that I shouldn't?"

Kiko didn't recognise the evasion, and fell easily into the counter-argument, forgetting all about the question she had asked.

"No." She said. Then she blushed. "Um, ah, that is to say, I'm not trying to be selfish, you can stop if you want to, but I'd like it if you kept protecting me." She said.

Sei laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be protecting you until the day I die, and even then, I'll always still be with you." She said. "Friendships like ours can surpass even death itself." She said.

Kiko admired the conviction in her voice.

"Wow, when you say it like that Sei, it really seems possible." She commented, leaving it at that. Sei nodded. "Yeah..."

They were silent for a minute, then Kiko looked up at her again, with that same coy smile.

"Hey Sei, I think you need someone to help wash your back..." She said. Sei shook her head. "Uh-uh, I can handle myself." She said.

Kiko laughed. "Aww come on baby, please?" She asked. Sei blushed as Kiko gave her a cute pleading look, one she couldn't ignore.

"Aww, okay." She said. She moved away from the rock wall of the hot spring, and let Kiko slide in behind her.

Once settled, Kiko smirked, and slipped her hands around Sei's waist, and pulled her hips back against her own, and making Sei lean back against her snugly.

Sei blushed dark red as she felt Kiko's sex pressing lightly against her lower back, and Kiko's semi-erect nipples against her back. Sei was about to protest that this wasn't a back washing, when Kiko slipped her arms around Sei's shoulders, and encircled her neck, hugging her from behind. She pulled gently until Sei took the hint, and tilted her head back, letting it rest on Kiko's left shoulder. Kiko closed her eyes, and reveled in the combined warmth of the hot water, and Sei's body against hers. As her muscles slowly began to relax, her legs slipped a bit tighter around Sei's body, and her hands slipped down from the bottom of her throat to just above Sei's breasts. Kiko held onto Sei like that for a few minutes, and although neither of them said a word, they shared thousands of thoughts and feelings as they both realized they had reached a new level in their friendship. The more daring would say that they now had a relationship, but neither was willing to admit it, still wary of the feelings of the other.

As they both became entranced in their own thoughts, Kiko never noticed Sei slowly drifting off to sleep until Kiko whispered Sei's name a few times and got no answer. Kiko was about to stand up to see if Sei was okay, when she realized that she was just sleeping. Kiko smiled, glad that her friend had finally accumulated enough trust in her to sleep openly in front of her, something she had never witnessed Sei do before.

Indeed, as she scrolled back through her memories, she always remembered falling asleep first, and had no memory of ever holding Sei while she slept. Kiko felt happiness and pride swell through her body, and knew that she would have to prove Sei's good faith in her by keeping a good watch out for demons, enemies and bandits while she slept.

After a while, when she heard nothing except the casual splashing of Sango a few metres away, unseen through the steam, Kiko believed the immediate area to be safe, for now, but from experience from travelling with Sei, she knew that in a few minutes, they could be under attack. Kiko slid her eyes from the forest surrounding them, and let her eyes wander down to Sei's neckline. Kiko admired the way Sei had so carelessly done her hair up, but still managed to look unbelieveably sexy. As her eyes went further down, she noticed the gentle curve of her breasts as the water lapped against her smooth skin, hiding most of the private skin. Kiko leaned down, and closed her eyes, exhaling softly, her lips inches from Sei's neck.

"Sei, I can't help but want you, but then I wonder if I am wrong to want someone who deserves so much better..." She said softly. Sei did indeed deserve someone better than herself, for Kiko knew she couldn't fight, wasn't as strong or fast as Sei, wasn't as sharp as she was when it came to sensing demons, nor had any weapons skills. Surely, Sei deserved to be set free, to travel with someone who could match her speed, giving her freedom, and giving her a workout when it came to training with weapons. Instead, Sei had to put up with her, who had no skills and always seemed to be holding Sei back.

"Sei..."

Kiko kissed Sei's throat, taking advantage of her tilted neck, and sucking on the soft skin of her throat, sliding her tongue around softly on the small patch of skin. Kiko continued to do this, and a few seconds later, unfamiliar feelings began spreading through her body, making her moan softly and hold Sei a bit closer.

InuYasha walked into the hut, and stopped short as he saw Keiran laying on the floor, spinning a dagger around in her hand. He dropped down onto the floor.

"Hey." He said.

Keiran nodded to him. "Hey yourself." She said, winking at him. InuYasha grinned.

"Whatcha up to?" He asked.

Keiran shrugged. "Just playing with daggers." She said. She looked up at the ceiling, where a crude bull's eye had been drawn with a piece of burnt wood, and hefted the dagger. InuYasha looked up, and waited for her throw. Keiran took her time, staring straight up at the ceiling as her hand seemingly took upon a mind of it's own, spinning the light dagger around in her hand, between her fingers, tossing it up into the air, and catching it again.

InuYasha felt his neck starting to ache, so he laid down, sliding his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling, waiting for her to throw. Keiran looked at InuYasha as she caught his movement out of the corner of her eye, before glancing back at the target, and hefting it one more time. With a swift, flawless throwing gesture, the knife whistled through the air and stuck perfectly into the wooden roof of the hut, a perfect hit on the centre of the bull's eye.

InuYasha smirked, and watched as Keiran threw a few more, all of them more or less hitting dead on.

"That's pretty good." He noted. Keiran nodded. "Thanks." She said. She rolled over, and got up, and InuYasha did the same. He wondered how she was going to get them down, and started snickering as she reached toward them, not being able to reach them even though she was jumping as high as she could.

"Haha, shoulda thought of that before you threw them into the ceiling." InuYasha laughed. Keiran pouted, and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

"Can you help me InuYasha?" She asked. InuYasha tilted his head, pretending to think about it. "I don't know, what's in it for me?" He asked.

"Please?"

InuYasha laughed. "Okay." He reached up, and easily pulled the daggers out of the ceiling, one by one, and handed them to her.

"Thank you InuYasha." She said. InuYasha nodded. "Your welcome, Keiran."

Keiran looked at him as she slipped the daggers back into her pocket.

"Why are you attracted to Sango?" She asked suddenly.

InuYasha was taken aback at the suddeness of such a personal question.

"Um, uh, well, it's a long story, but it would definitely have to be that...I really made some bad mistakes, and she was there to support me through it all, even when a lot of those mistakes ended up hurting her, and she definitely had more to gain by leaving me, but she never did, and it's hard to find that kind of trust and loyalty, so I'm definitely going to devote the rest of my life to her, making her happy, and showing her how much she means to me." He said.

Keiran was silent for a moment, thinking about it.

"Well, that's part of it, anyway." He finished.

Keiran looked up at him.

"Can you do me a favor?" She asked quietly.

InuYasha, having no clue what she wanted, nodded slowly. "Sure, no problem, what is it that you want?" He asked.

"Can you gi--" She trailed off, then shook her head. "Nah, nevermind, forget I said anything." She said.

Confused, InuYasha merely nodded, and followed her advice, forgetting she had even asked about anything.

Sango finished washing her hair, and dunked it one more time, running her fingers through it. Now satisfied, she stood up, and it was at that moment that she realized that she hadn't heard anything from Sei or Kiko for the last half hour or so. She slowly waded over, making sure to make at least some noise so that they could hear her approaching, thus stopping any embarrassing activity that they might be doing. Invading their privacy wasn't something she was keen on, so she made sure that they knew she was coming.

When she finally walked through the steam and they became visible, she blushed lightly and smiled at what she saw. Sei was passed out in Kiko's arms, and Kiko had taken the opportunity to give Sei a large, dark hickey on the throat. Now they were both asleep, and Sango regretted that she had to wake them. She kneeled down next to them, and gently tapped Kiko's shoulder.

"Hey, Kiko, wake up." She said.

For a second, there was no response, but when she tapped her again, Kiko woke up, blinking sleepily at Sango.

"Huh? What is it Sango?" She asked.

Sango smiled. "I'm going to head back to the village now, so I thought I should wake one of you up to let you know." She said. Kiko nodded.

"Thank you Sango." She said. Sango nodded, and turned around, wading back to the shore where her clothes were.

Kiko, now alone again with Sei, felt sleepiness creeping back up on her, and she was almost back to sleep when it finally dawned on her that Sango had just witnessed their awkward position, and had no doubt seen the hickey on Sei's neck that wasn't there before they had dissappeared into the steamy bath.

Kiko groaned lightly, and gently shook Sei, waking her up almost immediately.

"Mmm...Kiko?" She asked sleepily.

"C-come on Sei, time to get back to the village." She said. Sei yawned, then nodded, standing up and stretching. Kiko blushed as she stared at Sei's smooth skin, thin waist, and very curved hips, leading down to a very nice bum. Kiko stood as well, and couldn't stop herself from sliding her arms around Sei's waist, kissing her shoulder.

Sei looked over her shoulder, blushing as she felt Kiko's touches.

"Wha-what are you doing, Kiko?" She asked.

Kiko blushed, and pulled away, turning around.

"Forgive me Sei, I didn't mean it." She said, before stepping out of the water, and sliding on her clothes as fast as she could. Sei stood there for a second, staring after her, her tired mind trying to assemble what had just happened, and what Kiko had said, and what it meant. Finally she realized that Kiko was running away, probably in tears by now, and Sei was just standing there, still unclothed. She grimaced, and jumped out of the water, pulling on her clothes as quickly as she could. Once they were on, she flicked her damp hair out of her eyes, grabbed her sword, and took off running after Kiko, her long athletic legs pumping her up to full speed within seconds of taking off.

"Kiko, come here for a second!" She called.

Her heart started beating faster as she realized that Kiko wasn't going to answer, not after what had happened, and she wasn't anywhere in sight. Sei kept on running, eventually sighting light through the trees up ahead. She put on a burst of speed, and broke through the foilage into a field, spotting Kiko running away, a couple hundred metres away.

"Damn, when did she get so fast!?" She asked herself, before taking off again.

Kiko gasped, her chest heaving, and she cursed as she felt herself slowing down, despite her intentions of going faster. She could hear Sei calling her name from behind her, but she didn't want Sei to see her right now. She sniffed, and her vision blurred as tears started leaking from the corners of her eyes. She knew she had gotten too carried away and done something that Sei hadn't liked, and now Sei was probably furious. She didn't realize how slow she had become, until she blinked the tears away and opened her eyes in time to notice someone in front of her. She gasped, and tried to stop, but ended up skidding right into their arms. The person didn't let her go, and held her tight, despite her resistance.

"Let me go!" She said, trying to push the person away.

"I can't let you go yet." The person said, and Kiko's eyes widened as she realized it was Sei.

"S-Sei..." She said. She closed her eyes, and inhaled, breathing in the scent that was undoubtedly Sei's. "I'm sorry." She said, ceasing her struggles, and holding on tightly to her waist.

"It's okay babe." She said, rubbing her head.

Kiko didn't believe her, thinking she was only saying what was needed to get her to calm down.

"Your lying!" She said, squeezing her eyes closed, and clenching her fists. "It's not okay, and I screwed up, your lying!"

Sei swiftly pushed Kiko away, only to bring one hand up underneath her chin, and raise her teary face to the sunlight. Sei leaned down and kissed Kiko on the lips, then pulled away, and looked at her.

"Am I lying?" She asked, smirking.


	32. Two Shards

Pure Anger Chapter 32.

A/N: Well, seems no one likes Keiran that much, so I'm going to use my authorly powers to make her go away for a while, thus allowing InuYasha and Sango to resume their relationship where they left off. It sorta changes the storyline a bit, but nothing I can't fix. I'm still keeping Sei and Kiko though, because InuYasha and Sango's group need _someone_ to help them fight Naraku.

And, when free time permits, I will attempt to re-write the unsavory chapters which seemed to generate so much hate, and thus, all will be fixed!

Pure Anger 32.

InuYasha awoke, and blinked a few times as harsh sunlight streamed in through the cabin door. He groaned, and woke up fully, squeezing his eyes closed against the onslaught of light. He held up an arm to block the light, but it did little. Suddenly, the light was blocked for him as a form moved into his view, and InuYasha's pupils dilated, opening rapidly at the loss of light. He groaned and sat up, blinking a few more times, clearing his eyes. When he looked at the person standing in front of him, he was greeted by Sango. He smiled up at her, and she reached down, holding out her hand. InuYasha grinned and accepted her hand, letting her help him up. As he stood, she slipped an arm around his waist, and swiftly stole a kiss from him, making his golden eyes widen in surprise, as a light blush stained his cheeks.

"Ah, baka," She said playfully, "That's nothing to blush about, we've done worse." She said.

At that, InuYasha blushed even darker, and Sango laughed, hugging him close. A few seconds later, she pulled away, slipping her hand from her waist to his hand, sliding her fingers between his fingers and holding on tightly.

"Did you just get up?" InuYasha asked. Sango shook her head.

"Nope, I was up for about an hour or so." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Well, then do you know why Keiran's stuff is all packed up like she's ready to leave?" He asked, pointing to Keiran's belongings piled neatly by the door.

Sango turned to look at the bags he was pointing at, and raised an eyebrow in concern as she saw the bags. "No, she didn't say anything to me about it." She said. "She's actually still sleeping." She said. "So she must have done it last night."

InuYasha nodded, staring at the bags.

"Well, when she wakes up we'll find out what's going on." He said. InuYasha was silent for a minute, thinking it over, before shrugging it off. He yawned, stretched, and Sango took the opportunity to tickle him. InuYasha growled lightly as she inturrupted his stretch, and grabbed her wrists playfully, pushing her back against the wall of the hut. He glared at her, and she smiled innocently back up at him.

"Hey InuYasha." She said.

InuYasha glared at her, and kept his eyes on hers as he slowly lowered his head, stopping only when his nose almost touched hers. He growled softly, then leaned forward, pressing his body against hers, pushing her gently against the wall.

She smirked up at him, and he growled softly again, this time reaching up and tilting her head up, his hand on her cheek. He kissed her gently, and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her lips against his. Sango closed her eyes also, and slipped her hands from his grasp to place them on his chest. She let her fingers play with the edge of his haori, fingers occaisionally slipping inside and tickling his chest. She felt his hand slide off her cheek, to rest on her hip, as he pressed gently against her.

Sango moaned, and broke the kiss as she caught her breath, feeling herself becoming slightly aroused as InuYasha softly kissed her cheek, then neck, then collar bone, stopping there to nip at her gently.

"InuYa--"

"S-sorry, am I inturrupting something?"

InuYasha pulled away from Sango to look at the cabin door, where Kiko was standing, uncertainty and embarrassment on her face.

InuYasha smiled, and shook his head.

"Sorry about that." He said. "Come on in."

Kiko entered, and Sei was right behind her, keeping an ever vigilant eye on her.

"Hey, where are we going today?" Sei asked, straightening her sword on her back.

InuYasha shrugged. "Once Keiran wakes up, we're gonna head out of this village and get back on track looking for demons, and traces of Naraku." He said.

"But until then, we're all just hanging around doing nothing." He said.

"Mmm, what's happening once I wake up?"

Everyone turned to see Keiran stretching lithely on the floor, eyes squeezed closed, yawning.

"Well, once you wake up, we decide what all your stuff is packed up for, then we go demon-hunting!" InuYasha said.

Keiran sat up, and blinked, guilt overcoming her blank expression.

"Um, yeah, about that..." She said softly.

Sango looked up from her sword hilt, knowing that something was wrong.

"What is it, Keiran?" She asked.

Keiran stood up, and faced them all.

"I made a decision last night after watching you all battle." She said.

"It seems that all of you have one talent or another, and are really good when it comes to fightng, whereas I've been relying on a demon for the last little while, leaving me with almost no skills." She said. "So, instead of following along and becoming a liability, I've decided to take off and train on my own." She said. She looked to InuYasha, and grinned.

"And, I know my training will be more focussed, because I won't have any cuties around distracting me!" She said, winking. InuYasha blushed, and said nothing.

Keiran smiled, and walked over, picking up her things.

"I won't be gone that long, I'll be back before you even notice I was gone." She said.

Sango looked at her worriedly.

"How will you even find us?" She asked.

Keiran tapped her nose, and giggled, winking once again.

"I'll just sniff out the sweet scent of InuYasha, and follow that!" She said.

Sango smiled, despite herself, and clapped Keiran on the shoulder.

"Well, are you sure you want to leave right now?" She asked.

Keiran nodded. "Yeah, I'm going to get out now, and get a few hours of walking in before I even think of eating anything." She said. "Then I'll train for a little bit, then wander some more." She said.

Sango nodded. "Okay, pity you won't even eat one last meal with us, but if that's how you want it, then so be it." She said. "I hope to see you again, Keiran." She said.

Keiran smiled, pushing her long black hair out of her face.

"I'll see you later, Sango." She said.

Keiran waved to InuYasha, then bowed and formally bade Sei and Kiko farewell, not knowing them personally.

InuYasha waved back, and, despite one of his friends leaving, and not knowing where she was going or when she was coming back, he was smiling widely. Keiran had taken it into her head about getting stronger, and it seemed she was serious, so he wished all the best of luck to her.

They watched her walk away, and when she was a mere speck in the distance, they watched her turn around, and wave.

"This isn't goodbye!" They heard her call faintly. "I'll be back!"

InuYasha smiled, and slipped his arm around Sango's waist.

"She's a little odd, and a bit difficult to get along with, but once you do, it's hard to watch her leave." He said. Sango nodded. "Yeah, even though she hit on you constantly, it was as if she wasn't really even trying to get you, more like she was just playing around, and she was always respectful to me, so I never felt threatened by her." She said. "Weird."

InuYasha sighed, and turned around, greeting a still standing Sei and Kiko.

"Well," He said, grinning at them, "Let's get food!"

Sei nodded, her passive face breaking out into a small smile.. "Yes, lets."

---

InuYasha, bearing no possessions except the sword at his side, strode purposefully forward, Sango at his left, and Sei and Kiko at his right. Sango was easily lugging her large bone boomerang around, and Sei had her longsword sheathed on her back, like always. Kiko was playing with two highly ornate throwing knives, which seemed oddly out of place in her small, child-like, yet surprisingly skilled hands. InuYasha folded his arms into his sleeves, and shook his head, his silver bangs falling into his eyes to help block out the bright morning sun. He knew the path they were taking, and knew that it led to a village not too far away. InuYasha, his blood pumping, was eager to test out the stamina capacities of his new friends.

"Hey, whaddya say we start running?" He asked, and Sango elbowed him.

"What about Kiko?" She whispered, and InuYasha cast a glance at Kiko.

"Uh, you can run, right?" He asked.

Despite being treated like a child, Kiko knew it wasn't on purpose, it was merely due to her appearance, and she knew she would be judged on her appearance everywhere she went, as InuYasha probably was, everywhere he went.

"Yes, I can run moderately fast, and can keep up a steady pace for a few hours." She said.

InuYasha laughed. "Well, our destination isn't that far, but it'll be a good chance to stretch our legs." He said.

He picked up the pace to a jog, and everyone started jogging lightly, tightening weapon straps, and adjusting sandals and loose items. InuYasha waited until they were all ready, and Kiko had slipped her knives safely into her clothing, before speeding up.

Sei grinned as she felt InuYasha speeding up beside her, and she was grateful for the chance to warm up, burn off some energy, and loosen up her muscles. Beside her, Kiko kept a dogged pace beside her, neither showing an abundance in energy, nor a deficit in energy.

Sei looked at her, and Kiko smiled back in assurance at the unasked question. "Yeah, I'm fine Sei, thank you for caring." She said,and Sei nodded, turning back to the path in front of her.

Sango adjusted her sword at her side, and ran as smoothly as she had been taught, easing the slapping of Hiraiotsu against her back. She pulled even with InuYasha, and inhaled deeply, grinning. She hadn't been out like this in a while, and she had started to miss it.

The four sped down the road, each finding their own pleasure in their run, and sharing it with no one, deeming it to be an important first experience as a group together.

It wasn't much, but it would build trust, friendship, and morale for the battles to come, and that would prove invaluable.

---

InuYasha turned to Sei and Kiko, and saw that they were holding up quite well, Sei showing almost no sign of fatigue, save for a slightly flushed face, and InuYasha was surprised when he glanced at Kiko, for she showed no signs of hanving trouble keeping up. She was running quite fast, but had a slow, steady breath and her face was ashen, looking like she had been inside for many hours. Not a bead of sweat was on her face and neck, and she stared forward with a blank determination that InuYasha had recognised in many warriors and heroes. He shuddered, and turned away, missing the glance that she threw Sei's way. He didn't know that it was only Sei that kept her going, nor did he know that the only reason Sei wasn't giving up, was because of InuYasha.

They all relied on each other, and they didn't even know it yet.

InuYasha crested a hill, and skidded to a stop, amazed at what he saw. The village they were travelling to was being burned to the ground, everything ablaze, huts, garrisons, weapon shacks, food storages, animal pens, and above the dull roar of flames, the high pitched squealing of frightened and tortured animals could be heard, among the screams of humans. InuYasha wasted no time. He drew his sword, shouted for everyone to follow him, and charged down the hill, intent on entering the flaming village and finding who had done this.

Feet pounding against the ground, InuYasha's eyes swept the entire village, left to right, before he entered, alert and aware, searching for any movement that could be found, whether in buildings, or on the streets. InuYasha stopped running when he entered the village, and the group stopped around him, awaiting orders. InuYasha quickly took note of the multiple paths through the village, and he turned to Sango.

"We're going to split up, Sango will take the left, I'll forge straight ahead, and Sei and Kiko will go to the right." He said. He knew better than to even try to split up Sei and Kiko, so he didn't bother.

"Our objective is to find any survivors, kill any bandits, brigands, or demons you find, and regroup on the other side of this village, just outside." He said. "Got it?"

Three nods greeted his words. "Good. GO!"

They split up, and InuYasha took off straight ahead at a light jog, covering his sensitive nose with his hand. He would have used his fire rat haori, but he wasn't wearing it right now, still clad in Keiran's gift.

InuYasha passed by a few collapsed huts from which no life could be sensed, but stopped at one that was still standing, although burning fiercely. He hesitated, and was about to move on, when his ear caught a sound.

InuYasha went a bit closer, and squinted against the smoke that made his eyes water, trying to peer inside the hut. He listened again, and when he heard nothing, he dismissed it as his imagination, before turning away. He was about to take off at a run, when he heard something, a bit louder this time.

A groan of pain.

With no second thoughts, InuYasha dove through the flaming doorway, grimacing at the intense heat that swiftly attacked him and threatened to burn even the air from his lungs. InuYasha stumbled through the fiery building, and looked around, scanning the floors for victims that might be surviving by hugging the floor, letting the heat and smoke rise above them. InuYasha saw nobody, and he went further into the hut. He slashed his way through a burning rice paper sliding door, and found a man laying on the floor at his feet, covering his mouth with both hands, eyes squeezed closed, coughing. InuYasha's eyes widened at the burn marks on the mans body, but didn't hesitate, reaching down and grabbing the mans shirt.

The man opened his eyes at the touch, and as he looked up into the dark, shimmering shape of InuYasha, he thought he saw a demon, and started to protest weakly.

"N-no...no...leave our village..." He said, before inhaling too much smoke, and passing out.

InuYasha took a deep breath, and coughed as he got a suppressing lungful of smoke and heat.

He gripped the man tightly around the waist, and jumped up,punching his way through the burning roof. He winced as he burned his hand, but it was well worth the relatively fresh breath of air he took, once he escaped the burning confines of the cabin.

InuYasha hit the ground, and leapt into the air again, jumping toward the far side of the village. When he landed, he laid the victim out on the ground, a hundred meters away from the burning village. InuYasha took a second to clear his lungs, before running back into the inferno, searching for more people.

Sango shook her head as she found another bloody body, and moved on, knowing merely by the amount of blood on the floor and walls that the person hadn't survived. Sango added that body to the count that was already in the double digits, and moved along, searching for more. She ran down the narrow street, surrounded by burning huts on both sides, and she could feel the intense heat stifling her, making every breath she took feel hot and heavy. She skidded to a stop as she heard someone call for help, and she started toward a hut that she thought she heard the person calling from.

Sango called out, asking them to yell again, and they did. Sango confirmed the location, and was about to enter the hut when there was a dull roaring sound, and the whole hut collapsed into a big burning pile of wood, and the yelling was cut off. Sango fell back as sparks and debris were thrown out, a burning scrap of fabric landing on her arm, thrown there by the wind. She swiftly brushed it off, cursing the burned area of skin, before continuing on, adding one more body to the list.

Sei ran down the narrow street, and looked behind her to where Kiko was tagging along behind her. She looked forward again, and leapt over a burning pile of rubble. She heard a shriek behind her, and Sei felt her heartbeat increase rapidly as she looked behind her. A hut had collapsed into the roadway, adding to the pile of waist high rubble that had been blocking the path, bringing it to over head height. Sei grimaced as she heard Kiko's pants and gasps of fear from the other side of the pile of burning wood and junk. Sei looked around, catching glimpses of Kiko through the pile of burning wood. Sei tried to climb over the raging fire, but any attempt she made to get close to it resulted in her getting burned. Sei grimaced, and suddenly there was another roar as more huts collapsed around them, their bases burning through and collapsing, unable to take the fire and hold the weight of the building. Sei cursed, and heard Kiko start crying Sei's name on the other side of the blocked off road, as pieces of burning wood flung all around her, falling close to her and burning her, before landing in the street and casting an eerie glow onto everything.

"Sei, help!" Kiko said, panic making her voice rise sharply.

Sei looked around, wondering what she could possibly do to help, but her thoughts were inturrupted as another hut spilled onto the roadway, causing Kiko to scream in fear and pain as she was burned by the sparks thrown off from the collapsing, breaking dry wood.

"Sei!!"

Sei felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes as she heard Kiko screaming her name, fear and pain making her voice anything but the calm, composed voice it was just ten minutes ago. Sei caught a glimpse of Kiko's teary face, and she felt a slight pain in her chest. Kiko was hurt, and was scared, and crying, and there was nothing Sei could do.

Your a total failure as her protector. Might as well just let her find a stong man to protect her, and give up any thoughts of having her to yourself.

Sei grimaced at the thought, and knew that she had often vowed to do anything to protect Kiko, and he was was now, standing around and doing nothing, yet wishing for something to be done. She knew she would have to act now, if she wanted to save Kiko.

Sei closed her eyes, and pictured Kiko's calm, beautiful face in her mind. It was what she wanted to see again, and she would stop at nothing to get it. Sei opened her eyes again, and now there was a darker tint to them, for they were now tinted with self-hate, disgust, and anger at herself for letting Kiko down.

Barely feeling the pain, Sei slowly, but surely began picking up the flaming peices of wood and tossing them aside, until she had cleared all the ones blocking her path.

Never minding her red, blistered, sweltering hands, she climbed over the somewhat reduced pile of burning wood, to make it to the other side, hugging Kiko tightly.

"Come on." She commanded tersely, and when Kiko looked up into Sei's eyes, there was a strange light there, although Kiko swiftly chalked it up to the moment, being confused by the pain and fear she was feeling, as well as how they were rushing and she hadn't really gotten a good look at her eyes, and even if she did, it would be obvious that the firelight was playing tricks on her.

That's what she thought, and thats the thought that comforted her as Sei picked her up easily, heading back through the flaming streets, to seek another path back to the group.

InuYasha laid an unconscious, badly burned woman next to three others, and turned around, ready to go back into the blazing village. Just as he crouched down to leap over the burning gate, he saw part of the palisade surrounding the village come crashing down, crumbling under the weight of a house collapsing against it. A few seconds later, Sango appeared, climbing swiftly over the burning rubble. She had a figure in her arms, and she quickly laid that person down in the cool grass, before turning back to face the fire. A few seconds later, another body was passed to Sango, who took hold of the figure almost gingerly, with extra care than she had for the others. As Sango started toward InuYasha, Sei jumped over the wreckage, and stumbled, before catching herself and standing up, walking behind Sango, her hand on the forehead of the figure in Sango's arms.

InuYasha sat down abruptly, the heat and exertion getting to him, as Sango gently laid a girl down beside him. InuYasha then recognised the girl as Kiko, and he stared at her in concern.

"Hey, is she alright?" He asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine." Sei answered swiftly, with a hint of anger in her voice.

"A bit of the smoke and heat got to her, is all." She said softly a few seconds later, after removing the anger from her voice.

InuYasha clucked his tongue sympathetically, and turned to watch the village burn.

"I wonder who would do such a thing to such a valuable resource..." He said softly.

Sei looked up from Kiko to smirk at him.

"Well, if it was a resource, then your enemies do well to burn it to the ground." She said. InuYasha shook his head.

"No, but it was resource for them too." He said.

Sei blinked. "A shared resource?" She asked.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, a major trading village, a must if you are looking for anything from herbs and healing items, to weapons of all sizes." He said. "Unless whoever did that managed to amass enough power to forcefully overrun the village, take what they needed and burn it to the ground, then I don't know what they were thinking..."

Sei nodded. "Ah, I see."

Kiko groaned, and Sei immediately looked down at her, worry flashing across her face.

"Kiko! Are you all right?" She asked.

Kiko coughed, then looked up at Sei and nodded, smiling weakly.

"Yes, I'm fine, just not used to such...fiery conditions, as it were." She said. "Thank you Sei."

Sei said nothing, although inside, she was immensely relieved. "I-I'm sorry Kiko." She said softly.

Kiko looked up at her. "Why?" She asked.

"I was..."

InuYasha sighed, and fell backward, hitting the ground with a thump. Sei looked up at him to see if he was alright, and her eyes widened as she noticed for the first time the large, ugly burns that covered his body. Having barely any clothing covering his body, and the clothing that did cover him being tight, and thin, he had been exposed to the fire in a way that neither of the other three had.

"InuYasha...?" She asked, and Kiko sat up from her lap to look at him worriedly.

InuYasha, eyes closed, hummed a bit.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." He said. "I'm just tired, is all."

Sango laughed, and laid down beside him, watching the remainders of the village burn. Sei gently pushed Kiko back down, then moved so that Kiko's head was resting in her lap.

"So what do we do now?" She asked.

InuYasha was silent for a minute, listening to the breathing of his friends, and just when Sei had decided that he was either asleep, hadn't heard her, or was ignoring her, he spoke up.

"We can either rest here and set up an uneasy guard, and wait for the fire to go out, then recover any bodies and weapons that we might find, or just ditch as soon as we get our energy back, and head for the next town." He said.

Sei thought about it for a second, then looked back at InuYasha. "Well, it's up to you guys, I have the only weapon I need." She said. "But it would prove profitable to keep moving, lest anyone stop by and suspect us as the attackers."

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, if everyone is feeling up to it, then we'll continue in a few minutes or so." He said.

Sei nodded. "I'm ready." She said.

Sango agreed.

Kiko smiled. "I too will be ready to continue on." She said.

InuYasha nodded, then stretched, wincing as the burns on his torso were agitated. Kiko looked at him carefully.

"Are you sure your all right, InuYasha-sama?" She asked. InuYasha's eyes widened a bit at the "sama", but he said nothing about it.

'Yeah, it's just a bit sore is all, nothing to lose sleep over." He said.

"Would you like me to see if there's anything I can do about it?" She asked.

InuYasha looked to Sei, who shrugged.

"Go ahead." He said.

Kiko moved over, kneeling beside him. She placed her hands on his side, finding a spot that wasn't as badly burned as the others. She closed her eyes, and InuYasha could sense a spike in her aura for a second, before it died down and he felt a numbing, cold sensation spreading through his body, coming from her warm hands. InuYasha didn't know what type of magic it was, but it was something, and it was slowly numbing the pain that the burns were causing. Kiko stayed like that for a few seconds, until the cold had spread all throughout his body, then she removed her hands.

"Does that feel better, InuYasha-sama?" She asked.

InuYasha lowered his eyes to stare at the burns covering his arms and stomach.

"Yes, thank you." He said quietly.

She smiled, and bowed, before returning to Sei's side.

"I'm sorry I can't heal them yet, but at least I can numb the pain until they do heal." She said.

Sango stared curiously at her for a second, as she remembered faintly someone else being able to do a version of that type of magic, back in her slayer village.

"That's interesting Kiko," She said, "Where'd you learn that?" She asked.

Kiko looked at her. "I can't remember." She said. "I've been doing it for as long as I can remember." She said. Then she blushed lightly. "It's kind of embarrassing, really, for I really haven't had any growth in my abilities, and I've been doing that for so long."

InuYasha smirked.

Sango cast one last glance to the burning village, then stretched.

"Well, let's check on those we rescued, then get moving, we should get to another town, to stay at for the night."

Sango hefted her Hiraikotsu over her shoulder, and they started walking toward the next village on their route. InuYasha strode confidently beside her, and Sei and Kiko walked together on the other side of Sango.

They had barely been walking for ten minutes, when InuYasha stopped suddenly. Sango stopped, and Sei and kiko mirrored her movements, looking at InuYasha to see what was wrong.

"Hey InuYasha, what's wrong?" She asked.

InuYasha's eyes hardened, and he looked around, sniffing gently at the air. As he looked at Sango, she glanced at his golden eyes, and saw something she had never seen in a while. InuYasha looked angry, and for a second he took on a feral look as his fists clenched, and his golden eyes darkened.

"We're being followed." He said. "I think some of the local demons have caught wind of Sango's jewel shard." He said.

He continued walking, ears alert for any sounds as the demons aura flitted around behind him. For a second, his stomach went queasy as he remembered the aura of the demons that perstered Sango, but he knew that this wasn't it. They still had to be dealt with, but for now, it seemed that they were dealing with simple, run-of-the-mill power-hungry demons. They walked for a few more minutes, all silent, each formulating their own plans for attacks that might come from the above, side, front or rear.

Sei popped her sword out of her sheath a few inches, making it easy to draw in case they were attacked. Kiko was holding onto Sei's sleeve like she was instructed to do whenever there was a chance that they would be attacked.

"How many do you thi--Dammit!"

The attack happened so fast, Sango barely had time to defend against it. She saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, and brought her sword up just in time to keep the whole blade from slicing through her leg, but the tip of the sword managed to cut her a few inches.

"Keep an eye out for more, I'm not sure how many there are!" InuYasha yelled, before whipping his sword out of his sheath.

InuYasha spotted the demon as it skidded to a stop a few feet away from them, sizing them up. InuYasha took the chance to really get a good look at the demon, and he smirked. It was barely five feet tall, and resembled a deformed boar.

"Hmm. A half breed, a wanna-be demon-slayer, a female warrior and a helpless brat." He growled. "Looks like the odds are too much in my favor."

InuYasha smirked, and took a step forward, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Sei walked forward, glaring at the demon.

"Let me, InuYasha."

InuYasha nodded, and lowered his sword, letting her take over.

"Your opponent is me now, so try not to lose track of me!" She shouted. The demons response was to growl.

"Come at me as you will."

Sei dashed forward, drawing her sword and lunging at the left side of the demon. The demon responded swiftly, bring up it's large claws. Sei feinted, and ducked low, just as her sword clanged off the demons claw, and the large paw came down for a swipe at her head. The paw passed right over her, and she jumped up into the air, to the right. She brought her sword up, and the demon reacted nicely, bringing both claws up in front of it's face to defend against the shot aimed at it's throat. Sei swiftly threw her sword from her left hand to her right hand, behind her back, then brought it around the front of her body, effectively getting it behind the demon. She then transferred the blade to her left hand again, and brought her sword whipping down toward the back of the demon's unprotected back of the neck, slicing it open. The demon's head separated from the body quite cleanly, and landed on the ground a few feet away. Sei sheathed her blade, then stood, having landed in a crouch when she hit the ground, to avoid any flailing limbs that might have spastically hit her.

"Over...already..." InuYasha gaped. "Dammnnnn..."

"WOW! It's been a while since I seen you like that, Sei!" Kiko exclaimed. "Your amazing!"

Sei blushed. "A-ah, thank you, Kiko..."

"Well, boars don't just talk like that, so that can only mean one thing..." InuYasha said.

"Jewel shard." Sango finished.

Kiko looked at the two.

"You mean that gleaming stone in the forehead of the boar?" She asked, pointing.

They all looked, but of course, none could see the aura that the jewel shard was giving off.

That she could see the aura, was not something Kiko fully appreciated at the time, but everyone else fully understood its value.

InuYasha walked over to the boar's head, and sliced it open with his sword, fishing around in the bloody, pulpy mass for what felt like a jewel shard. A second later, his hand closed on it, and he picked it up, handing it to Sango for safe-keeping.

"That's two." He said. "We'll have Naraku in no time." He said confidently. "And the more we collect, the less time we'll have to spend searching, 'cause they'll all come to us!"

Sango smiled. "That's true."

Sei smiled, glad that things were finally getting done.

"Well, let's continue, shall we?" She asked. "We still aren't at the village, and it's way past noon."

And so they walked. Each in their own thoughts, they would occaisionally talk to each other for a few minutes, to help pass the time, and always one of them was looking around, watching the group's back for attacks from the rear. Deep in his own thoughts, InuYasha was thinking along more somber lines.

Damn. This isn't good. What the hell is up with her? Sensing the shard like that?

InuYasha sighed, staring at the ground as he walked.

Kikyo...she not only had the power to sense the shards, she could also purify it. Then there was Kagome. She could sense them too, and purify them also, to an extent. I wonder if this girl knows that she's following in the footsteps of two of the greatest priestesses ever...I just hope she doesn't meet a fate as similar as theirs...Damnit why do all priestesses have to be so damn weak??

"Because the ability to purify a shard comes only with the pure quality of mind." Sango whispered in his ear.

InuYasha was jerked out of his thoughts, and her looked at her.

"Huh?"

Sango smiled, and InuYasha realized that not only had she answered him, she had answered a question he hadn't asked.

"Wha...?"

"It was all over your face, InuYasha, I knew what you were thinking without even asking." She said. "I saw it on your face as soon as she mentioned the shards aura."

InuYasha shook his head. "Well, what is it you just said?" He asked.

"I said the ability to purify comes from having a pure mind." She said.

InuYasha stared at her blankly.

"What's that mean?"

Sango giggled. "It means that Kikyo could purify jewel shards because she was pure of heart and mind. She had never taken a human life in greed or self-interest, or even at all, I think, and neither had Kagome." She said. "That girl, Kiko, has never killed before, and thus, can easily sense the jewel shard's aura." She said. "Even Sei, with her obvious training and skill, cannot sense the shard's aura because, somewhere down the road, she probably ended up killing someone." She said.

InuYasha looked at Sei out of the corner of his eye, then looked at Sango.

"Maybe..." He said.

Sango put her hand on his shoulder. "Think about it InuYasha." She said. "And you know what I'm talking about."

InuYasha sighed, then smiled at her. "Yeah, I do know what you're talking about." He said tiredly.

Sango was talking, of course, about his feelings. Kikyo and Kagome were both killed either by his irreparable fuck-ups, or by his own hands directly. Taking a third, untrained priestess who was unable to defend herself in battle into their group, it was something that was his responsibility. Sure, Kiko had Sei, but Sei could only do so much, and if the battles got intense, then Kiko might not always be protected. Stuff could happen, and InuYasha could feel that it would probably be his fault. It was something he had to be prepared for, and it took a lot of thinking over to decide how to handle it. Right now he didn't know what to do, but he would think about it all tonight, and it would probably be decided tomorrow.

"...Yasha."

InuYasha's ear twitched, but he paid it no mind, still thinking about Kikyo and Kagome.

"InuYasha!"

Still no response, and the seemingly comatose hanyou continued walking, unaware that he was deep inside the village, and had walked right past the inn that they were bunking at.

"InuYasha-sama?"

InuYasha was finally kicked out of his thoughts, and he stopped, almost running into Kiko, who had jumped in front of him.

"Eh? Oh, Kiko." He said.

"InuYasha-sama, you walked right past the inn." She said, pointing behind him. InuYasha turned, and saw Sei and Sango a few feet away, laughing. He turned back to Kiko, and smiled at her. "Thank you, Kiko." He said. Kiko blushed lightly, then bowed.

"No problem, InuYasha-sama."

InuYasha turned, and started walking back toward the inn.

"Oh, and Kiko?" He asked.

"Yes?"

"You don't have to call me InuYasha-sama." He said. "I'm not a lord."

Kiko lowered her eyes. "I know, but if you don't mind, I will continue calling you it." She said. InuYasha smiled. "Up to you."

The group went in, and checked into a room as the sun set outside, bringing on the night. The next morning would bring many things, all of them unexpected, and not all of them would be welcomed.

A/N: I apologize for my loooong updating time, but I got owned on my report card, and got grounded from the computer. I'll try to pump out updates for all the other ones as soon as possible.

Oh, and by the way, Kohaku finally shows up in the next chapter. Be prepared, it's not gonna go well for Sango, Kiko, Sei, or InuYasha. :D


	33. Chapter 33

pure anger chapter 33

A/N: This is chapter 33, so if you haven't read chapter 32, it's been uploaded into the 'authors note' chapter, now labeled differently, so update notices probably weren't sent out.

Chapter 33.

InuYasha walked out of the cabin, stretching as he yawned, squeezing his eyes closed against the bright morning sun. He had thought about his dilemma last night about if he wanted to accept responsibility for Kiko joining their group, and he had finally come to realize something very painful. Not only has Kikyo and Kagome's deaths been preventable, they had also been caused by his weakness. If only he had been stronger, then neither of them would have died. He had denied his weakness, but now, he had to accept it, and work at getting stronger. It was the truth, and a sad one at that, something that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. Now, he was ready to accept another priestess into his group, and hopefully have the strength to protect her. InuYasha opened his eyes as someone stepped up behind him.

"Good morning, Sango." He said. Sango slipped her arms around his waist, and held onto him tightly, resting her forehead on his back.

"Good morning, InuYasha." She replied. InuYasha closed his eyes again, and let the air between them fall silent for a few minutes as they simply enjoyed each others company.

After a few minutes, she spoke. "Have you decided what your going to do?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, I'm going to let her join, and instead of denying my weakness, I'm going to work on getting stronger, so that I'm able to protect everyone."

Sango smiled, and nuzzled his back gently. "Thats good, InuYasha." She said. "I know you'll do great." She said.

InuYasha smiled, and turned, taking her into his arms. "Yeah, I will do great, for how can I not, with you at my side?" He asked. Sango smirked.

"Trying to score points now, are you InuYasha?" She asked. "Looks like my little teasing last night got you expecting a little something."

InuYasha blushed. "N-no, that's not it!" He said. Sango laughed. "Riiiiiight, I gotcha." She said, winking.

InuYasha pouted. "Your no fair." He said. Sango smiled, and kissed him on the mouth. "Ahh, InuYasha, you don't know just how fair I can be..." She said.

InuYasha stared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sango lightly pinched his bum, smirking. "You'll find out."

InuYasha was about to protest, but Sango had already turned and was walking into the cabin to rouse the other two. Today was already planned out, and they had a fair bit to do. They were going to spend an hour or two going around town, gathering supplies, maybe even weapons, gather information about demons, then, once they were ready, head out and try to follow up on any leads.

"Sei, Kiko, time to get up." Sango said, walking into their room. She slid back the rice door, and smiled at what she saw. Kiko and Sei had retired in the same room, but each had taken their own mats, and slept on them, spaced about three feet apart. Now, Kiko's mat was abandoned, and she was cuddled up as close as she could get to Sei, who was sleeping on her back, not knowing that her friend was cuddled up against her side. Sango shook her head, and gently shook awake Kiko. She made sure not to wake Sei, thinking that Sei would love it if Kiko was the one to wake her up.

"Kiko." Sango whispered, shaking her gently. A second later, Kiko was awakened from her light sleep, and she blinked at Sango sleepily.

"Yes, Sango?" She asked.

"Time to get up, Kiko." She said. Kiko nodded.

"Thank you." She said. Sango nodded, and retreated, sliding the door shut.

Kiko yawned, and stretched, looking down as she did so. She was quite embarrassed that she had again managed to sneak close to Sei in the middle of the night. She had been trying to stop that, but for some reason, she just felt safer when she was closer to Sei. She sighed, and knew that she would have to stop soon, or Sango and InuYasha-sama might start to suspect things that weren't true. Kiko smiled, and leaned over Sei's sleepng body, staring admiringly at Sei's sharp features, and beautiful face. Kiko remembered the swift slaying of the demon the day before by Sei, and she blushed as she remembered staring at Sei's body and being absolutely mesmerized by the way she moved. Sei moved beautifully, and Kiko knew she would be training for a long time before she could even hope to move half as smoothly as Sei did.

"Hmm, maybe I'll get Sei to strip down a bit, and give me another demonstration of her sword handling skills..." She said softly, feeling a familiar heat pass through her body at the thoughts she conjured.

Kiko leaned down, and gently touched Sei's forehead, pushing Sei's hair out of her face. Kiko slowly leaned in closer until their noses were almost touching, and she gently whispered Sei's name. Kiko turned her head to the side a bit, and leaned down, closing her eyes as she felt Sei's warm breath on her cheek.

"Sei..."

Kiko knew what she wanted to do, but she knew that it would be wrong to do so while Sei was sleeping. Kiko knew she held immoral desires for Sei, but she was also an honest person, and would never steal a kiss from Sei without Sei being awake to resist if it wasn't something she wanted. Slowly, she leaned back a few inches, and opened her eyes. What she saw made her cheeks flush red with shame and embarrassment, for Sei was wide awake, and staring at her, cheeks also flushed dark red.

"I-I'm sorry Sei, honest, I wasn't going to do it, I swea-" Kiko was cut off as Sei grabbed her shoulders, and gently pushed her to the side, rolling on top of her and straddling Kiko's waist. Sei now stared down at Kiko, who was still embarrassed, and felt like she was going to cry for getting caught about to do something so immoral.

"I'm sorry Sei." She said.

Sei stared at her. "For what?" She asked.

"For what it looked like I was about to do." She said.

Sei shook her head. "You dummy, you don't need to be sorry for that." She said. _The only thing you need to be sorry for is not going through with it._ She thought, but didn't say.

"What was it you were going to do?" Sei asked.

Kiko lowered her eyes from Sei's gaze, but ended up only looking at Sei's fine body instead.

"I was...ah...that is, I was about to..."

"Kiss me?' Sei asked, taking a gamble. She would either scare Kiko off, or open a door to a whole new relationship with Kiko.

:NO!"

Sei felt her stomach twist, and she sighed. "Ahh. I was wrong, then. Forgive me." She said, softly. _Damn..._

"I...that is...yeah." Kiko said, blushing, unable to lie to Sei. "I was about to kiss you." Kiko said softly.

Sei felt her heartbeat speed up, and she dared not to think that she still might have a chance.

"Well, I didn't tell you to stop..." Sei said suggestively, wondering if Kiko would take the hint.

"You want me to continue to do what I was about to do?" Kiko asked, uncertainty making her voice waver.

Sei shrugged. "I-If you want to."

"Very well..."

Sei's eyes widened as Kiko reached up, and placed her cool hands on both sides of Sei's burning face, before gently pulling her down. Sei glimpsed a hint of fear in Kiko's eyes, just before she closed them, and Sei felt Kiko's soft lips press gently against hers. Sei felt a shock burn through her body as Kiko's lips touched hers, and no sooner had it started, then it was over, and Sei was staring down into Kiko's tear-filled eyes.

Sei's eyes widened as she saw the tears in her eyes, and she wondered what was wrong.

"Kiko? Are you okay?" She asked.

Kiko nodded. "I'm fine..." She said, and reached up, wrapping her arms around Sei's neck, hugging her tight.

"Thank you Sei..." She whispered, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Sei didn't know what she was being thanked for, but Kiko was alright, and that was what was important. Sei returned the hug, holding onto her tightly.

_Outside..._

InuYasha sighed. "Where the hell are those two, and what's taking them so long?" He asked. Sango shook her head.

"Give them time, InuYasha." She said. "Relationships are hard to build, and take time."

InuYasha looked at her. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "They've had their whole lives to build a relationship, and so far it's looking good." He said. "What do they have to build? I didn't hear them fighting last night, so they can't be in there making up."

Sango shook her head, and said nothing.

"Nevermind, InuYasha, just please try to be patient."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth, then Sei and Kiko walked out of the cabin, both managing to look shy, embarrassed, flustered, yet completely innocent.

InuYasha sniffed the air gently, and realized immediately that their scents were mingled quite closely, and that each smelled like the other.

_Almost like they were..._ He stopped when the thoughts started to go toward the perverted direction, and shook it off. They had shared the same room and probably the same blankets after all, and probably the same clothes too, so he was sure that nothing was going on.

_Still, you never know..._

InuYasha firmly put the thought out of his head, and decided that even if that's what was happening, it was none of his business, and that if they were, well good for them. InuYasha focused his thoughts on gathering information the rest of the morning, as well as keeping a lookout for any useful weapons.

_Elsewhere..._

A black haired youth walked into a shop, and picked up a weapon at random, inspecting it with dull eyes. Well, in fact, he wasn't inspecting it all, for he couldn't see it. While his head was pointed downward, his eyes were up and scanning the crowd inside the shop. A few seconds later, he determined that his prey wasn't here, and he cursed as he dropped the weapon back on the table. He had heard a rumor that she was here, but he had been looking all morning, and found nothing. It was almost noon, and they would most likely be gone out of town before long. He turned away from the table, and was about to exit, when he heard someone calling him.

"Lad, may ye be lookin' for the female demon slayer?"

The youth turned, and eyed the old man behind the counter.

"Perhaps." He answered dully. "And what of it?"

"Well, if ye are, she passed through here not ten minutes past, said something about heading toward the village of the north, in search of rogue demons."

The youth stared at the man for a second more, before thanking him, and exiting the shop. The information had immediately been conveyed to his controller, and he was recieving his instructions immediately. He was to wait at the north gate exit, and see if the girl showed up.

InuYasha sighed, and shook his head. "Not a decent weapon among the bunch." He said. "Sorry."

With that, he exited the shop, and continued walking around, stopping occaisionally and talking to the villagers on the streets, trading information. He hadn't gathered much so far, but at least what he had gathered seemed consistent. The north seemed to be experiencing trouble, so it seemed that the north was a likely destination.

Sango stared absent-mindedly at the kindly old woman in front of her, slowly sipping from the flask of sake Sango had bought for her. _Ahh, this brings back memories from when Kagome was still around. _She thought. _Trading sake for stories and information about demons...I sorta missed this...I wish Kagome was here to do this with me..._

Elsewhere...

Kiko: "..."

Sei: "..."

Kiko: "..."

Sei::blush::

The group met up at the centre of the village at noon, as pre-planned, and they all converged their information, most of it indicating demon unrest in the north.

InuYasha shook his head. "Looks like we're going north." He said. Sango nodded.

"Yeah, we'll go to the village, about three days away from here, and apparently, it's under occaisional demon attack." She said. "We could probably lend a helping hand, and get a meal or two and a free night stay while we're at it." She said.

InuYasha laughed softly. "Seems Miroku hasn't quite left us after all." He said. Sango smiled sadly. "Yeah..."

Sei looked from Sango to InuYasha, and wondered briefly what that was about, and who Miroku was. It didn't seem the time to ask right now though, for it seemed to be a sore subject, so she stayed silent.

Kiko clapped her hands together, and smiled. "Well, shall we go?"

InuYasha smiled at her, and nodded. They all picked up their belongings, and started walking toward the edge of the village. They knew it would be a long, cold three days before they reached North Village, so they had all packed a bunch of things, except for a certain hanyou, who carried with him nothing but his sword.

InuYasha waved to a few villagers whom he had gotten to know, and as he stepped outside the village walls, he immediately scented something familiar. It smelled like Sango, and Naraku. For a second he was confused, then it all became clear to him when a young boy stepped out from behind the shelter of some nearby trees, slowly approaching the group.

"Uh, Sango?" InuYasha asked.

Sango looked at him. "Yeah, babe?" She asked.

InuYasha pointed to the slowly approaching figure.

"Isn't that Kohaku?"

Sango turned and looked to where InuYasha was pointing.

"Oh InuYasha, you can't be ser-" She stopped as she spotted Kohaku, walking non-chalantly toward them. He was just a few feet away, when he waved at them, as if they were old comrades.

"Hi InuYasha, Sango." He said. He nodded to the other two, and appeared to be unarmed.

"Ko...Kohaku?" Sango said his name in utter disbelief, wondering if he was real.

She reached out toward him, and suddenly InuYasha smelled a spike in the scent of Naraku.

"Dammit Sango, watch out!" He yelled.

It was too late. Kohaku reacted with lightning fast reflexes, and grabbed Sango's arm, twisting it and throwing Sango down into the dirt. He then reached behind hm and drew a small blade from a sheath hidden under a wrap. He reared back his arm, and, with speed unbefitting the child, stabbed at Sango's unprotected stomach. InuYasha reacted swiftly, reaching out and throwing his hand in front of the blade. The sharp blade easily slid right through his hand, spraying blood all over Sango's slayer suit. Kohaku leaned into the thrust, and InuYasha growled, trying to overcome the combined force of gravity and Kohaku's weight on the blade. If InuYasha were right under the blade, it would be a simple task, but InuYasha was stretched out, and as a result, didn't have as much power at his disposal to force the blade up. The blade sunk lower, and the tip pierced Sango's stomach, making her groan in pain. InuYasha had managed to take most of the force out of the attack though, so the wound wasn't near as harmful as it could have been.

InuYasha used his free hand to punch Kohaku in the side of the face, throwing the light boy a few feet into the air. Sei immediately drew her blade, and grabbed Kohaku by the throat, holding him up and holding the blade against his throat.

"You have injured InuYasha and Sango, when they posed no threat to you. If you wish to live, explain yourself, and have a damn good reason."

Kohaku stared blankly at her, and said nothing. Sei growled, and pushed the blade a few millimetres into the skin of his throat, drawing blood.

"Answer me."

"Sei, d-don't. Please."

Sei looked at Sango, who was getting up, holding onto her stomach.

"He's my brother."

"Then why did he attack you so?"

Sango winced, and glanced at Kohaku.

"I guess Naraku still has control over him..."

"Naraku..." Sei said, disgustedly. She threw the boy down into the dirt, and held him there with her sword at his throat.

"You have been defeated. Go tell Naraku that if he wishes to live, then he had better stop playing his games."

Kohaku stared back at her, unansweringly, before turning his gaze to Kiko. He stared at her, and when Sei saw who he was looking at, she got angry.

"Go! Don't even look upon such beauty with eyes such as yours!"

Sei kicked him roughly, then hauled him up. She pushed him back the way he had come.

"Start walking if you want to live!"

Kohaku took one last look at Kiko, then jogged away, dissappearing into the forest. Sei glared after him, until Sango rested her hand on her shoulder.

"Sei..."

Sei shook her head, and bowed to Sango.

"I'm sorry Sango." She said, "That was wrong of me to be so-"  
"Look out!" Sango pushed Sei to the side, just as Kohaku's sword came slashing down where she had been just standing. Sei drew her sword, and countered a slash from Kohaku. She was about to thrust her sword into his chest, when she remembered that this was Sango's brother. She grimaced, and realized she would have to resort to non-lethal techniques, which, probably, would end up in them both getting wounded. Sei continued parrying Kohaku's blows, looking for an opening, and it was too late when she realized what Kohaku was doing. Sei had started with herself between Kohaku and Sango, who was wounded, but now, Kohaku had slowly weaselled himself in between Sei and Sango. Sei grimaced, then remembered InuYasha. Surely he wouldn't allow harm to come to Sango...? Sei decided to wait and see, and sure enough, Kohaku backed her up a few feet, and Sei couldn't retaliate or else she would wound Kohaku. Suddenly, when he had backed her up enough, he gave one last violent thrust, which Sei swiftly deflected, but before she could recover, Kohaku had turned, and had dashed toward Sango, sword raised above his head, ready to slash down toward her unprotected shoulder.

Suddenly, out of her peripheral vision, Sei saw InuYasha streak forward and intercept Kohaku. It happened so fast that she couldn't really see what happened, but it ended with Kohaku on the ground, bleeding, and InuYasha growling at him, sword drawn.

InuYasha watched Sei fight Kohaku, and he noticed early on that Kohaku was slowly backing her away from both Kiko and Sango. Sei was so focused on not hitting Kohaku with a lethal blow, that she wasn't focusing on her objectives. InuYasha grinned, and knew that he would have to step in after all if Kohaku got smart. InuYasha tightened his grip on his sword, and tensed his leg muscles. He watched Sei get slowly pushed back, then suddenly, Kohaku launched a particularly violent thrust, and InuYasha caught his breath, wondering what would happen. Sei deflected it perfectly, but Kohaku had already turned, and dashed toward Sango. InuYasha reacted instantly, his legs exploding into motion, propelling him swiftly toward Kohaku. InuYasha reached out, and intercepted Kohaku with a punch to the side of the head, his fist connecting harshly, as a loud snapping sound reached InuYasha's ears. InuYasha didn't have time to think about it though, as Kohaku flew through the air, bleeding from a wound near the temple. As soon as Kohaku hit the ground, InuYasha had his sword drawn, and pointed at Kohaku's throat. InuYasha growled lightly, pleased with his victory, and it was this smugness that disregarded Kohaku's seemingly innocent gesture, as Kohaku tentatively reached up to touch his temple. If it was a normal enemy, InuYasha would have either killed him already, or ordered him not to move, but seeing as it was just Kohaku, InuYasha let him move about. It turned out to be the wrong choice, for Kohaku slipped a sharp blade down his sleeve, then sat up, groaning. InuYasha turned away, just for a second, to see where Sei was, and in that instant, Kohaku threw the blade at Sango, who didn't evade in time, and took the blade right through the upper arm. InuYasha whirled around at Sango's cry of pain, and forgot all about Kohaku as his eyes widened when he saw Sango bleeding from her stomach and upper left arm. He ran to her, and dropped to his knees, panicing, neverminding the fact that the wounds were far less than life-threatening. InuYasha took Sango in his arms, and hugged her to his chest, then remembered Kohaku. He looked around, and saw Kohaku running away, staring back at InuYasha and Sango over his shoulder. InuYasha looked back down at Sango, who was grimacing slightly, and then he heard his name being called.

"InuYasha, look out!"

InuYasha looked up in time to see four shurikens being thrown in his direction by Kohaku. InuYasha growled, and kept one arm protectively around Sango, shielding her from them. He reached out swiftly, and snatched three of them out of the air, throwing them right back at Kohaku, but the fourth one he missed, and it thudded into his back, making him growl in pain. InuYasha glared at Kohaku's disappearing form, then, when he was gone, turned and stared at Sango. She smiled up at him, and InuYasha kissed her forehead.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Sango nodded. "Yeah, he didn't get me too badly." She said. InuYasha growled in disgust, and yanked the shuriken out of his back. He then once more looked over Sango's wounds. As he looked, he felt himself growing more and more angry with himself. He had promised himself to become stronger, not only for himself, but for Sango, Kiko, and Sei. Now Sango was hurt, and it was his fault. InuYasha, unmindful of the hole in his hand from where Kohaku stabbed him, gripped his sword tighter, feeling his anger growing, and rising up in him. He hunched over Sango, and held onto her tightly, growling lightly as his head filled with thoughts of what could have happened to Sango and the others. And the last thought he remembered before he transformed was, _They could have died, and it would have been your fault._

Kiko looked at Sango nervously.

"A-Are you okay, Sango?" She asked. Sango held on tightly to InuYasha, hugging him, unaware that he had transformed, for his face was buried in the crook of her neck. "I'm fine." She said. "Don't worry about it."

Kiko nodded. "Would you like me to look over your wounds?" She asked.

Sango smiled, and nodded. "Sure Kiko, show me what you can do."

Kiko started forward, reaching for Sango's arm. Sango held it out to her, and Kiko winced at the would in her upper arm.

"Wow, that looks painful." She said.

Sango shook her head. "Not really, you get used to it after a while." She said. Kiko nodded. "Ahh, I see."

She touched Sango's arm, and InuYasha's head shot up. He turned to Kiko, and growled at her, baring his fangs. Kiko gasped in surprise, and stared into InuYasha's blood red eyes.

"I-InuYasha-sama?" She asked, uncertain as to what was going on. Her fingers remained on Sango's arm, and InuYasha continued growling at her, and in his enraged mind, he didn't recognize Kiko for who she was, a friend. All he knew was, Sango was in his arms, hurt because of him, and the weak human approaching her was touching her, and InuYasha didn't like it at all.

InuYasha growled louder, and Kiko panicked, not knowing what to do. In her nervousness, her fingers gripped Sango's arm a bit tighter, and it was like a bomb was set off. InuYasha snarled loudly, and lunged forward, snapping his fangs at her. She shrieked, and fell backward. InuYasha reached out to slice her open with his talons, and suddenly, Sei was in front of Kiko, glaring at him. InuYasha didn't recognize her either, and he didn't stop his attack. He raked his claws down her shoulder, and Sei winced as she took the attack meant for Kiko. Still, she didn't budge, even as Sango called out InuYasha's name in surprise.

"InuYasha, what are you doing?"

InuYasha looked back over his shoulder at Sango at the sound of her voice, and her growled softly. Sango caught sight of his red eyes, and she shook her head.

"Oh, no, not full demon...InuYasha, sit!"

InuYasha looked back to Sei, then down at his chest as his necklace started glowing. Suddenly, he was plunged facedown into the dirt. The demon inside of him was slammed back into lockdown, and InuYasha raised his head, blinking dirt out of his golden eyes.

"What the hell...?"

He looked around, and saw Sango staring at him nervously, and Sei glaring at him, holding her wounded right shoulder. It was bleeding heavily, and Kiko was clutching Sei's sleeve and hugging her tight, staring fearfully at him.

Nervousness, hate, and fear. It could only mean one thing. He had gone full demon and attacked one of them. He felt his stomach tighten, and he stared at the ground in shame, as he picked himself up. He looked at Sei, and blushed, not believing that he had attacked her.

"What happened this time?" He asked.

Sango came over and stood beside him, taking hold of his hand.

"Kiko tried to see my wounds and you got a bit over-protective." She said. "Being a full demon, you tried to attack her to get her away from me, but Sei jumped in and took the attack." She said. InuYasha nodded slowly, and hung his head, unable to look either of them in the eye.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, clenching his fists together.

He had become a demon again, and attacked someone he was supposed to protect. He growled in disgust, and couldn't believe that he once wanted to become something so hated. But it wasn't like it mattered, for he was already something hated. Just something that wasn't so hated as something that he wanted to become. InuYasha turned to Sango, and started attending to her wounds.

He was silent for most of the time, but once he was almost finished, he looked up at her.

"Thanks for sitting me." He said softly.

Sango reached out and caressed his face.

"You were just trying to protect me InuYasha, it's nothing to be guilty over." She said.

InuYasha looked away. "It's something to be guilty over when it hurts the ones I'm trying to protect." He said angrily.

Sango sighed, and patted his head absent-mindedly.

"Come on, I think we all need a bath." She said. Sei and Kiko, who were nearby, heard her, and agreed. InuYasha looked at them, and when they looked back, he looked away, still ashamed.

_Damn, he still feels bad over something so trivial..._ Sei thought, staring at him. _I wonder what I should do...I mean, it's not like it actually hurt or anything, and I know the feeling, I can relate, but how am I supposed to let him know it's okay? I can't just tell him it's okay, I barely know him, and it's not like I can just tell him that I know how he feels, because without me explaining my whole story, he wouldn't believe me anyway, and I don't know if I'm willing to share that just yet...Whatever, he'll get over it eventually when he realizes I'm not mad._

Kiko stared at InuYasha's back sadly. _Aww, he seems so sad. I wonder if I can cheer him up. I mean, he didn't scare me too much..._

InuYasha and Sango walked for a few minutes, until InuYasha caught scent of a hotspring. They were getting into a more forested area, and any diversion from the path to any large extent would result in an individual getting lost, unless they were experienced in this particular forest. They would travel through this forested area for about a day and a half, then, the vegetation would start to thin out and give way to rocky terrain, and colder climates.

InuYasha found the hotspring, and stopped, dropping his sword next to Sango's Hiraikotsu. Sei and Kiko weren't far behind, and they too dropped their stuff off. Once free of their cumbersome equipment, Sei and Kiko opted to give InuYasha and Sango their privacy, and retreated to a part of the hotspring a few meters away.

InuYasha slowly stripped off, knowing that Sango was watching his every move. He smirked at her as he took his shirt off, and her eyes landed on his toned chest. She walked over, and rested her hands on his chest, as she stared into his golden eyes. She let her hands slide down his body as she kissed him on the mouth, and her fingers slipped underneath the waist band of his pants. InuYasha kissed her back, and moaned lightly as Sango pressed up against him. Her hands were starting to explore a bit lower, and he swiftly grabbed her hands right before she 'explored' something else. She broke the kiss long enough to giggle, and once she had calmed down, started kissing him again. InuYasha slid his hands around her hips, and gently squeezed her tight curved bottom. InuYasha slowly started walking toward the hotspring, and Sango backed up with him, still kissing him and feeling him up. They entered the water, and InuYasha pulled her over into a deep part. There, he allowed Sango a bit more freedom with what she did, as he gently undid the collar of her slayer suit, sliding it off her, and down to her waist, baring her chest to him. InuYasha slipped his arms tighter around her waist, and hugged her as he kissed her neck. He sucked lightly on her flesh, and managed to elicit a light moan from her, making him smirk. InuYasha slid his hand from her hip to her stomach, letting his fingers gently rub her. Sango let him stay there for a minute, before acknowledging what he really wanted. She took his hand, and smiled at him as she moved his hand between her legs.

Sei closed her eyes as she sunk into the hot water, and this time she was determined not to fall asleep. Not only was it inappropriate, it was putting herself and Kiko in needless danger. This time she would actually stay awake, regardless of how good Kiko managed to make her feel, and how sleepy she was. Sei blushed at the memory of what the last hotspring bath lead to, although she was asleep for most of it, she still remembered Kiko blushing darkly afterward. Sei smiled to herself, and let herself relax a bit, preparing herself for the mild pain that would come when she dipped her injured arm below the waters surface.

Splashing could be heard, and Sei focused on that, listening to Kiko's movements throughout the hotspring, tracking her by sound alone. Kiko had always been the type to wash up immediately after entering a hotspring, while Sei normally relaxed a bit before washing up. Suddenly, the splashing came near, and Sei was jerked out of her thoughts by Kiko's hands on her unwounded shoulder.

"Hey Sei..." Kiko asked, and Sei opened her eyes.

"Yeah, Kiko?" She asked, smiling at her.

"I-I got a question." She said.

Sei nodded. "Yeah, okay, go ahead and ask." She said. Kiko nodded, then was silent for a minute, head bowed. Sei, at first, thought Kiko was staring at her breasts, then realized that Kiko was merely nervous.

"Hey, you okay, Kiko?" Sei asked. Kiko looked up at her, and nodded. "Yeah, I was just thinking of a way to phrase my question, that's all." She said.

Sei nodded. "Okay, take your time." She said.

Kiko was silent for a few minutes, then looked up at Sei.

"U-um, d-do you think it's possible for..." She trailed off, looked behind her, then looked back at Sei.

"Nevermind, it's stupid." She said. She was about to swim away, when Sei grabbed her wrists. Kiko looked at her, and Sei stared back.

"Hey, I don't know what you were going to ask, but no question is stupid Kiko, 'cause if you never ask, you'll never know the answer, now will you?" She asked. Kiko shook her head.

"I guess not..."

Sei smiled, and released her wrists. "Okay, so go ahead and ask." She said.

Kiko nodded, then looked Sei in the eyes. "Do you think it's possible for two girls to love each other?" She asked.

Sei's breath caught in her throat, and her heartbeat sped up. She felt blood rushing to her cheeks, and felt her ears grow hot. "Uh, um, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about." Sei said evasively, embarrassed. Kiko nodded slowly. "Ahh, I see." She said. She was silent for a minute, thinking, then: "Okay, forget I even said anything."

Sei looked up at her sharply, but said nothing. The sadness was evident in Kiko's voice, but Sei didn't know what to do. She decided to try to ignore it as best she could, and if Kiko was still sad later, then she would have to deal with it and give her a proper answer.

InuYasha sighed as he rested his head on Sango's chest. Sango held on tightly to him, refusing to let him go until he stopped worrying. He was still feeling bad about wounding Sei and scaring Kiko, and now Sango wasn't going to let go of him until he felt better. InuYasha was silent for a little while, finding comfort in Sango holding him, but still his mind was focused on wounding Sei and scaring Kiko. He tried to put it out of his mind, but finally, it got the best of him, and he decided that he would have to apologize formally.

InuYasha tried to raise his head, but Sango held him gently, but firmly down. InuYasha sighed, and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms tight around Sango's waist. He hugged her, and calmed down, deciding to enjoy the rest of the time she was going to hold him. He smiled when he felt her fingers sliding through his damp hair, gently scratching his head and massagng his ears. It felt very good, and after a while, he was out, sleeping peacefully in Sango's arms.

Sango smiled down at him, and kissed the top of his head. She leaned back against the natural wall of the hotspring, and let InuYasha lean against her as he slept. She planned on staying here for a few hours, until InuYasha woke up by himself.

_Elsewhere..._

Sei had felt bad about making Kiko sad, so, against her better judgement, allowed Kiko to snuggle up with her for a few minutes. A few minutes turned out to be a very long time as Kiko promptly fell asleep, forcing Sei to stay alert for enemies. She was always alert anyway, so it was no bother, and Sei smiled happily to herself as she gently held Kiko to her, hugging her close as she slept. Sei didn't care how long she slept, and also planned on staying here until Kiko woke up. Sei stared at Kiko's peaceful sleeping face, and Kiko's earlier question flowed through her mind.

_Do you think it's possible for two girls to love each other?_

Sei blushed lightly, and felt her heartbeat speed up as she looked down at Kiko's sleeping face.

_Well, I know it's possible for one girl to love another, but if that girls loves the other one back, I'm not sure._

Sei shrugged, careful not to disturb Kiko, and decided that when she woke up, she would give her a proper answer.

End Chapter 33.

Please review, tell me what you think. :D


	34. Chapter 34

Pure Anger 34.

Kiko woke, and yawned, stretching. As she arched her back, she felt Sei's breasts against her back, and she hummed happily, reaching behind her to wrap her arms around Sei's neck.

"How long was I out?" She asked quietly, gently dragging her fingertips along the back of Sei's neck. Sei shivered at her touch, and slipped her arms around Kiko's stomach.

"Hmm, not long, about half an hour." She said. Sei gently pulled Kiko closer as her stretch ended, and opened her legs a bit more, allowing Kiko to slide back and regain the closeness that had been lost when Sei had adjusted postions a while ago, while she had been holding the sleeping Kiko.

Now Kiko was pressed up against Sei, and marveled that Sei wasn't minding the prolonged closeness.

Sei rested her chin on Kiko's right shoulder, and closed her eyes, breathing out. She wanted to talk to Kiko about what she had said before she fell asleep, but she was kind of nervous. She slowly tightened her loose grip on Kiko's stomach, until she was fully hugging her from behind.

"Hey, Kiko?" She asked. Kiko placed her hand on top of Sei's, on her stomach, and tilted her head back a bit. "Yeah?" She asked, not knowing what was wrong, for Sei usually wasn't this affectionate.

"You know how you asked me if it was possible for two girls to love each other?" She asked, her voice low. Kiko stiffened a bit, and an apology was on her tongue.

"I'm sorry for asking that, it seems it's still troubling you." She said. Sei shook her head. "No, it isn't bothering me." She said, her voice a bit softer. She rubbed Kiko's stomach to reassure her, then continued.

"W-well, the thing is, I was thinking about it while you slept, and I figured, I think it is possible for two girls to love each other." She said.

Kiko smiled. "What made you come to this conclusion?" She asked.

Sei shrugged. "Well, I thought that love is an emotion from the heart, and neither love itself or your heart is confined to solely the opposite sex, or anyone in particular, and it's up to the individual to decide whom they love." She said. "And if I was going to love anybody," She said, "I'd love a certain someone who stayed by my side, and was the best friend I've ever had."

Kiko hummed. "I wonder who that could be." She said coyly, giggling.

Sei gently nipped her shoulder. "Well, it doesn't leave a lot of possibilites when you consider you're the only one I've been travelling with for the last while." She said.

Kiko arched her back and gasped at the gentle bite on her shoulder. "Hnn, well, what exactly are you saying, Sei?" She asked.

Sei blushed. "You don't know?" She asked. Kiko shrugged. "You used 'I'd' a lot, a contraction of 'I would', not exactly the most concrete way of stating something." She said. "To me, I don't understand what you're trying to say, because I'm not you, I don't know your feelings." She said.

Sei growled lightly. "You know exactly what I'm trying to say." She said. Kiko merely shrugged again, then half turned, casting a sly, yet slightly smug look at her.

"I'm afraid I don't." She said. With that, she gently pulled out of Sei's grasp, and moved a few feet away, into deeper water. She dunked herself underwater, and a few seconds later, Sei dived under after her, knowing she had to wash her hair before she got out anyway. The natural hot spring was only about eleven feet deep at its deepest point, and that's where Sei found Kiko, hovering near the bottom. Sei watched as Kiko slowly breathed out, bubbles rising to the surface, until the air in her lungs matched her buoyancy to the waters, making her neutrally buoyant in the water. Then, she laid out on her back, and Sei smiled as she figured out what Kiko was doing.

A long time ago, when Kiko had trouble keeping up with Sei's running, Sei told her that aerobic capacity training was the only way not to lose her breath so fast. When asked how to increase her lung capacity, Sei told her that she should do it the way she herself had trained, and still did train. The way to do it was, find a hot spring, dive down close near the bottom, and release air from your lungs until you were neutrally buoyant. Once you did that, lay flat on your back, close your eyes, and concentrate on conserving your remaining air. Every time you did it though, she said, you have to make sure that you have enough to safely get to the surface, while still using up most of your air and stressing your heart and lungs, forcing your body to use oxygen more efficiently.

Now, Sei watched as Kiko laid out in the water, suspended there by her neutral buoyancy, eyes closed, concentrating on using as little air as possible. She has started off by just releasing her air, getting into the laid out position, then having to come up for air immediately, but over the course of training, Kiko could now hold her breath for over three minutes, and that was after expending most of her air.

Sei started counting automatically, to see if she had gotten any better, and was mildly surprised when Kiko rose over the four minute mark. As she slowly counted past four minutes, thirty seconds, she began to get worried. Usually Kiko's improvements were in ten second increments, then, suddenly she was beating her old record by forty-five seconds, and more.

Sei swam over to Kiko, and touched her arm, seeing if she was okay. Kiko opened her eyes, and looked at Sei. Sei tapped her forehead, then pointed up. Concentration broken, Kiko nodded, and sat up, kicking off the bottom. Sei followed, wondering what was going on.

As Kiko broke the surface, she breathed in a large gasp of air, but was otherwise fine, barely out of breath.

Sei came through the waters surface right beside her, and glanced at her quizzically.

"How did you last so long?" She asked. Kiko shrugged. "I don't know, my mind didn't seem so cluttered and worried today." She said. "I just blanked out, and it sort of felt like I had entered that zone you told me about." She said.

Sei shook her head, and ran her fingers through her hair. "You think you cleared your mind enough to enter the Tachi zone?" She asked. The Tachi zone was something she decided was real, after a man in her village a few years ago trained rigorously to achieve an almost perfect state of mind, where he felt almost no pain, manifested strength that seemed demonic, and almost seemed to possess spiritual powers. The man's name was Tachi, and he had taught Sei a few sword-handling exercises, and was the main influence for her beginning few months of training.

When asked how he could perform such feats, without feeling pain or fear, he simply said that he cleared his mind of all troubling thoughts and feelings, and eventually his mind became an odd blank, where he still was capable of rational thought and movement, but when he stopped thinking, his mind stayed blank, and he felt like he didn't have a good connection with the rest of his body. He felt very little pain, and his muscles knew no limits, and when he was done his task, he could shut off the mental perfection at will. Although, getting into it usually took him a few hours of preparation.

"Well, the way you described it, blank mind, severed connection to the rest of the body, no feeling of pain, breathlessness, or tired muscles, it seemed that way." She said.

"Well, what troubled you before, and why were you able to overcome it now?" She asked.

Kiko blushed. "Well, for the last little while, my breath-holding times were actually getting a bit worse, but it was such a small difference that I don't think you noticed." She said. "Just, I was so worried about my feelings for you, and how you felt about me, that when I went underwater, it was all I could think about." She said. "Now that you said you would love me, if you were to love anybody, my mind didn't feel so troubled and restless, and for some reason, I didn't even notice that I had passed my other time, and almost doubled it." She said.

Sei nodded, grinning. "Well, I did ask him once why he didn't stay in that mode of mental perfection forever, since it took no concentration of will or power to keep it going, and he said that he would, but the downside was, once you exited it, depending on how long you were in it, a degree of exhaustion would be felt." She stopped smiling as she remembered the man. "He said he was afraid that if he stayed in it too long, he would die if he exited it, so he never stayed in it longer than an hour." She said.

Kiko nodded. "Ahh I see." She said. "So do you think that's what happened?" She asked. Sei nodded. "Sounds like it, and I've managed to get into it a few times, but I never really took advantage of it." She said. "You know, impossible strength, no pain, I never did anything with the power I got, I just was happy to be in it." She said.

She smiled sadly, as she remembered the first time she had gotten it. Tachi had laughed, and congratulated her, then laughed again as she named it the Tachi zone. He had laughed at it, and said it needed a cooler name, and offered a few, but she had declined them all, keeping it the Tachi zone.

That was years ago, and now monks all over were practicing a lesser form of it, and appropriately called it mediation. A few older monks had managed to get into a form of the Tachi zone, but other than that, it wasn't put into real battle use, because it took so long to get into.

Kiko nodded. "Yeah, it was interesting to experience."

Sei moved a bit closer, and put her arms around Kiko's waist. "So, Kiko, if I were to love anybody, you know for sure it would be you, right?" She asked. Kiko nodded.

"At least, that's what I'm going to assume." She replied.

Sei nodded. "That's good." She said. She thought about telling Kiko that she did indeed love her, but wondered what the effects would be. Sure, Kiko would be overjoyed, but how would everyone else take it? It was kind of a strange idea, really, two girls together was really useless for producing offspring, and not very common. They often weren't accepted in villages as permanent residents, because for each pair inside a village, there had to be at least one man to fight in case of war or attack by demon, although visiting couples were welcomed warmly.

"Kiko, I...ah, I think we should finish washing up and get out." She said, knowing it had almost slipped out. Kiko smiled at her, and nodded, embracing her for a second.

"Okay, Sei, I'm almost done anyway." She said.

---

Sango held InuYasha close to her, and hummed softly, eyes closed. She smiled, feeling content and happy with InuYasha's arms wrapped around her waist, his body pressed against hers, his forehead resting on her shoulder, his cheek against her breast. She ran her fingers through his long silver hair, and at her touch InuYasha hummed softly. Staring down at her beautiful boy, she felt a sense of pride creeping alongside her happiness, and she wondered how she had managed to capture and hold on to the heart of this amazing, loving boy. She stroked his cheek, and even though he was sleeping, he recognized her touch, and nuzzled her gently. As he did, Sango felt her heart swell with happiness and love for this boy, and she felt like he was all she needed to live the rest of her life happy and complete.

Inside, she knew that this was the man she wanted to have with her for the rest of her life, they had been through so much together, and nothing in the whole world could replace the memories they had made together, not even the bad ones. Still, a small part of her heart ached for Kohaku, but the ache lessened every day that passed, for they got closer and closer to freeing him, and with all her trust and confidence in InuYasha, she knew that freeing Kohaku from Naraku became that much more of a possibility.

InuYasha awoke slowly, coming into consciousness as he felt Sango stroke his cheek. Still mostly asleep, he nuzzled against her, and a second later, her heartbeat increased, beating faster. InuYasha settled down, wondering if he could go back to sleep, but after a few seconds of trying, he realized he couldn't. He still had to apologize to Sei and Kiko, and now that he wasn't as tired, his mind couldn't justify sleeping while still feeling so guilty. He kept his eyes closed for a few more minutes, adjusting to waking up, and followed Sango's hands as she touched him, first, her fingertips on the back of his arms, then her whole left palm on his right shoulder, then her fingertips again on his back, sliding up and down his back. InuYasha then raised his head, opening his eyes a bit, smiling at her. She smiled back at him, and brought her hand up from his back to caress the back of his neck.

"Hmm, awake now, are you?" She asked. He nodded, blinking sleepily, before pulling away from her. He splashed warm water onto his face, and it woke him up pretty good. He pushed his damp bangs out of his eyes, and smiled at her.

"Thanks for that Sango." He said, moving close to her again. "It really helped me think things through, and sleep a bit, you're right, I was way too worried." He said. She smiled, and blushed lightly. She leaned back a bit to raise her arms without hitting InuYasha, then gathered up her long hair and put it into a ponytail, leaving a few strands on the side of her face that were too short to reach her ponytail. She felt InuYasha's gaze on her body, and she smirked at him, saying nothing. InuYasha moved a bit closer, and took her into his arms, hugging her. With his arms around her waist, he stared down at her, realizing again that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered, and again the light blush returned to her cheeks. InuYasha leaned a bit closer to her, and Sango knew he wanted to kiss her. She tilted her head a bit, and half closed her eyes. InuYasha moved a bit closer, and then she heard his voice.

"I love you." He whispered, then he kissed her. Sango felt a nervous twinge in her stomach, and a heat pass through her cheeks and neck, before she lost herself in his soft lips and gentle kiss.

When InuYasha pulled away, Sango slipped her arms around his neck, staring at him. InuYasha raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked away, embarrassed. InuYasha laughed, then gently touched the side of her face. "What did I do?" He asked.

She looked back at him, and smiled. "Your a great kisser InuYasha." She said in response. InuYasha placed his forehead against hers, their noses inches away from each other.

"I love you too." She said after a few seconds, realizing what he said right before he kissed her. She was no longer surprised that the words she said were true, she had loved him from day one, but now she was surprised at how little the words actually conveyed the feeling.

"How long was I asleep?" He asked. "Couldn't have been long."

She shrugged. "About twenty minutes or so." She said. "I didn't notice, I was almost asleep myself."

InuYasha yawned, and hugged her again, before realizing he had better back off, or he would get aroused. He let go of her, and dunked his head underwater, wetting his hair and getting water in his ears. He opened his eyes underwater, and caught a glimpse of Sango's long legs and sexy hips, along with the rest of her seductive body, killing his wish to not get aroused. A few seconds later, Sango had dunked herself underwater, eyes open, grinning at him. InuYasha quickly scrubbed at his head, thoroughly soaking his head and hair, cleansing it with the hot water. Through the agitated water, he caught a glimpse of Sango doing the same, and he silently cursed, as his arousal got even harder, for he had caught a glimpse of her navel.

He raised his head, and broke the surface of the water, shaking his head. Water droplets flew off his hair, but when he stopped, his hair was still thoroughly soaked. Water dripped off his soaking bangs, but he ignored the drops that landed on his nose, instead he looked for Sango. She came up a few seconds later, and InuYasha motioned for her to follow him. He backed up from the deep water, to water that was about waist deep, concealing his arousal as he leaned back against the rocky wall of hot spring, forming a natural basin. Sango came up to him, and smirked, reaching under the waters surface. A few seconds later, her hands were on his knees, and slowly spreading his legs apart. InuYasha wondered what she was doing, and a few seconds later, he found out, as she moved between his legs to lean forward, her hands on his chest, her sexy ass sticking out of the water, her back curving just right. She slowly rocked her hips forward, and her navel pressed gently against the tip of his erection. InuYasha jumped, and Sango giggled. She slipped one hand beneath the surface of the water, and placed her hand on his stomach, slowly sliding down. She encountered the base of his erection, and she slowly wrapped her fingers around it, wondering if she could make it around with one hand. She could, barely, and started stroking his erect penis, feeling it become even harder beneath her fingers. She slowly slid all the way up to the top of his penis, and curled her hand around the tip, making him moan. She slid back down, and InuYasha tilted his head back, baring his fangs as he opened his mouth, eyes closed. Sango reached the bottom, and let go, bringing her hand back above the surface to place it on his chest.

InuYasha raised his head, and grinned weakly at Sango. "Damn tease." He said softly. Sango kissed him on the lips, and gently slid her hand up and down his chest.

"Well, I'm not the one who got it up, now did I?" She asked. "Why should I have to get it down?"

InuYasha had nothing to counter that, so he merely grinned. "Well, just remember babe, payback's a bitch." He said. Sango shook her head. "Oh yeah?" She asked. "I don't think so." She said. InuYasha shrugged. "We'll see." He said.

Sango moved away from him and kept her body underneath the water, giving him a few minutes to calm down. InuYasha concentrated hard on anything but remembering Sango's beautiful, lithe body, and a few minutes of thinking about crushing Naraku was enough to calm his arousal. Once it was down, InuYasha stood.

"Let's go check on the other two, shall we?" He asked.

Sango nodded. "Yeah, good idea, they've been bathing for about an hour and a half now." She said. "Better go make sure nothing happened to them."

InuYasha remembered what Sango had said about them building a relationship, and then when they had come out of the inn, they had smelt like each other, like their scents had mixed, and his mind got on the naughty path.

"Who says they've been bathing the whole hour and a half?" He snickered, following the natural hot spring's current.

Sango thought about it for a second, then giggled, even as she blushed. "Well, guess where we know InuYasha's mind is." She said. "Aaaand, I'm going to tell them you said that."

InuYasha's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "NO! Nononono!" He said, holding out his hands. "Don't tell them I was thinking that they were having sex!" He said.

Sango's eyes widened, and she pretended to be surprised. "Oh! Is that what you were thinking?" She asked, hands on her hips.

InuYasha blinked. "Uh, yes?" He said. "That's what I meant when I said, 'Who says they were bathing the whole hour and a half.'" He said. Sango shook her head.

"Oh, and here I was thinking that you had a pure, innocent mind, I imagined you were only saying that they were dirty, and thus weren't bathing the whole hour and a half." She said. "Now I find out you think those two girls are having sex!"

InuYasha groaned. "Damn, please don't tell!" He said.

Sango bit her lip to keep from laughing, and hugged her hanyou. "Don't worry babe, I won't tell them." She said. InuYasha looked at her warily. "Why not?" He asked. "What do I have to do to keep you from telling?"

Sango shrugged. "You don't have to do anything, InuYasha." She said. "And I'm not going to tell, because that's probably what they really were doing, and it would be embarrassing." She said.

InuYasha stared at her blankly. "Huh?"

Sango smiled coyly. "InuYasha, haven't you noticed?" She asked. "Sei is always looking at Kiko with that sad look on her face, and Kiko adores Sei, it's pretty obvious that something is going to come up and they're gonna get together." She said.

"S-so you mean, they probably were having sex?" He asked. "How do you know this?"

Sango shook her head, and laughed. "There's a lot of stuff to learn about people if you paid attention, InuYasha." She said. "Now come on, let's try not to embarrass them." She said.

InuYasha, now armed with this new information, knew he would probably start blushing as soon as he saw them.

They waded through the water, until they came upon the girls. Sei was just about to climb out of the water, and blushed as she saw InuYasha and Sango wade through the steam into the middle of the hot spring. Kiko saw them come through the steam, and gasped, dunking down in the water until only her nose and eyes were above the surface of the water. Sei looked over her shoulder, one leg up on the bank of the ground, the other stretching down into the water, and saw InuYasha meet her gaze. She blushed, knowing he had inevitably caught a glimpse of her ass, no matter how polite he was and how quickly he looked away. She dropped back into the water, and sunk down until she was mimicking Kiko. She was now very embarrassed, and when she was embarrassed, she tended not to meet peoples gaze, and just look down. That's what she did now, and she took in everything as she looked down, his muscular shoulders, well toned chest, prominent abs and hip bones, then finally, her eyes landed upon the surface of the water, which was lapping at his navel. She blushed even harder, and closed her eyes, wondering how much of herself he had seen.

Sango was behind InuYasha, and peeked over his shoulder at them.

"Ahh, sorry guys, guess we should have made some noise to announce our coming." She said. "Sorry."

Sei shook her head. "Ah, don't worry about it." She said. "N-nothing happened, I think." She said.

InuYasha moved a bit closer, which made him move toward the centre, which was deeper, thankfully raising the water to above his belly button, which was still not a very modest covering in the presence of the two girls, but would suffice.

Sei looked at him, and found that she could now do so without being too embarrassed. InuYasha looked at both girls, then took Sango's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I, uh, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for wounding you, Sei-" He looked at her, and her heart skipped a beat as she stared into his sad, golden puppy eyes. "-and for scaring you, Kiko." He said, looking at her. She smiled at him, and jumped up out of the water, unmindful of the show she was unintentionally giving InuYasha.

"It's okay InuYasha!" She said, hugging him. InuYasha blushed, and stared down at the water over her shoulder, trying not to look at the curve of her ass as he did so.

He put his arms around her waist, and hugged her, closing his eyes. When he felt her start to pull away, he let go of her, and opened his eyes, surprised to see Sei standing right behind Kiko, glaring at him slightly through a deep blush, arms folded across her chest. InuYasha raised his hands in the air, thinking she was mad that he had hugged Kiko and looked down.

"I-I'm sorry Sei, I didn't do anything, hon-" He stopped as she blushed even harder, slowly unfolding her arms and holding them out. She was still glaring, but perhaps it just because she was so embarrassed.

He looked at her. "Y-you want a hug?" He asked, wondering what was going on.

She dropped her arms. "Well, not if you're going to drag it out and make it even more embarrassing than it already is." She said, turning away. InuYasha stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, and when she turned back to face him, he surprised her by gently sliding both his arms under her armpits and hugging her tightly around the waist. She gasped in surprise at his touch, but she put her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, and tried not to like the feeling of his fingertips on her back.

When InuYasha pulled away, Sango burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, what a way to accept an apology." She said, winking at Sei. Sei moved back to stand beside Kiko, and unconsciously took her hand, holding it. InuYasha raised his arms, and rotated his shoulders, unintentionally flexing his biceps, and drawing Sango's gaze.

"Well, I for one would love to spend all day in a hot spring with three beautiful ladies, but there await jewel shards for finding, and demons for slaying." He said, wading over to the edge of the hot spring. Once there, he turned, and pointed back the way they had come.

"I'll go get our stuff, Sango." He said. She nodded, and turned to the girls, wanting to talk to them. Sei, unwary of Sango's gaze, watched InuYasha's back until he was out of sight, then looked around to see Sango watching her.

Sango saw Sei finally meet her gaze, after watching InuYasha, and she immediately grinned widely, at once putting Sei's fears and worries to rest, and making her laugh nervously at Sango, breaking the tension.

"He's cute, isn't he?" Sango asked, meaning InuYasha.

Sei nodded. "He does have a certain attraction." She said, evasively.

"I think he's HOT!" Kiko said, laughing at the surprised looks on both Sango and Sei's faces.

"R-really?" Sei asked, unsure about this new development. Kiko nodded seriously. "Well yeah, for a guy." She said. "That long flowing hair of his, makes you wonder what kind of a girl he would make." She said softly, almost to herself, staring at the water.

Sango was silent through that awkward statement, whilst Sei just stared at her. Kiko looked up, and realized she had said it out loud, loud enough for everyone to hear, and blushed.

"I-I'm sorry." She said. Sango laughed.

"Ahh, that'll be funny to tell to InuYasha." She said. Kiko looked at her wide-eyed. "W-what?" She asked. "You're going to tell him?"

Sango shook her head. "Well, if you don't want me to, I won't, but even if I do, he won't be mad or anything."

"Please don't tell him, I don't want him to think badly of me." She said.

"Too late!" InuYasha yelled, walking out of the foilage, dressed in his old haori, with Sango's clothes in his hand.

Kiko gasped, and jumped behind Sei, who merely turned to look at InuYasha.

"I-I,m sorry!" She said. InuYasha laughed, and dropped down onto the edge of the hot spring, kicking his bare feet in the water.

"Don't worry about it, some might find it offensive, but I rather like the idea of being thought of as a girl." He said. "Although it is kind of kinky."

"How did you hear?" She asked.

InuYasha leaned forward, and twitched his doggy ears. "I can hear everything." He said. He straightened up, and Sango waded over, accepting her kimono and slayer suit.

As she was putting it on, Kiko grabbed Sei's hand, and walked toward InuYasha.

"I'm sorry." She said, softly. InuYasha laughed again, and patted her head, making her look up. "Don't worry about it, it's fine." He said.

"Really?" She asked. InuYasha nodded. "Yup." He said.

"I'm sorry to you too, Sei." Kiko whispered.

Sei knew what she was talking about, but smiled it away. "Don't worry, it was actually kind of funny." She said. Kiko nodded, and hugged Sei.

"Well, we'll go back to the edge of the main path, and prepare some food, let you guys have some privacy while you get dressed." Sango said, straightening the hem of her kimono over her slayer suit, and picking up her weapons.

They nodded, and InuYasha and Sango took off through the forest, back to the main path.

Sei and Kiko waited until they were gone, before taking one final dunk underneath the surface of the water. When they both came up, Sei reached for her clothes on the bank, but was stopped by Kiko's hand on her arm. Sei stopped, and looked at her, wondering at the serious, almost fearful look on her face.

"What's wrong Kiko?" She asked. Kiko moved a bit closer, and took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry again, even though you said it was okay, and I also wanted to...say..." She was distracted as rain started falling, and she looked up, some small part of her glad for the distraction.

Sei looked around too, and was the first to notice that it was raining just over the hot spring.

"What the hell?" She asked. "Is it just raining over the hot spring?" She asked. "Some weird kink in the weather, perhaps, or the work of a demon, maybe?"

Kiko looked around some more, then laughed, realizing what was going on.

"Neither, Sei." Kiko said. "Since it's getting late, it's getting colder, even though we don't realize it, because we're in the hot spring." She said. "It's actually snowing, you can see the snow flakes over by the bank, but the snow directly above us is getting melted by the steam from the hot spring, and it's turning to water about four feet above our heads, and is falling like rain." She said.

Sei nodded, feeling slightly stupid, but she tried to ignore it.

"It's actually really pretty." She said, looking toward the bank, where snow and rain were falling within inches of each other.

"Yeahhh..." Kiko agreed, looking around. Suddenly, she remembered her purpose, and she grabbed Sei's hand. Sei remembered that Kiko was trying to tell her something, and apologized, giving Kiko all her attention.

"Well, what I was going to say was, after all these years of travelling with you, and staying by your side, and watching you train, and fight, I realized how much I've come to care about you, and recently, that caring has turned to love, and I just want you to know, that even if you don't love me back, I love you." She said. "A lot. And I'll never stop." She said. Having said what she wanted to say, she was ready to accept the consequences, good or bad.

Sei stared at her for a minute, trying to take it all in, then suddenly, it didn't matter if she could take it all in or not. Kiko had just said she loved her, something she had longed to hear for a long time, and now it was time to tell her the truth.

"Kiko..." Sei whispered, reaching for her. Kiko allowed herself to be pulled close to Sei, and she rested her head on Sei's shoulder. Sei hugged her, and wondered how to phrase it.

"Kiko, I..uh, I-"  
"It's okay if you don't feel the same, you don't have to make an excuse, I just want you to know how I feel." Kiko said, hugging her tightly.

"But I do!" Sei blurted out. "I just don't know how to tell you." She said, more quietly.

Kiko looked at her. "Then just tell me in whatever way comes out."

"Kiko," She said, looking her in the eye. "I-I've loved you so much from day one, the very first day I met you, and I've never stopped either, and I never will, and I'm glad that one of us was brave enough to take the risk of saying it." She said, smiling at Kiko.

Kiko nuzzled her, and grinned, having an idea.

"Well, now that we know that we both love each other, we should seal it with a kiss." She said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Sei laughed, and agreed, surprised to find that she indeed did want to.

Kiko slid her hands from Sei's back to her shoulders, before leaning up and kissing Sei on the mouth, like she had dreamed of doing so much these last few months. Sei moaned at the feel of Kiko's lips against hers, and slipped her arms around Kiko's waist. Kiko slid her left hand up to cup the side of Sei's face, while her other one traced a featherlight pattern down her back.

Sei gasped as Kiko tickled her back, and her mouth opened slightly, exactly the opening Kiko was looking for. Kiko deepened the kiss, and Sei tilted her head a bit, allowing Kiko better access. It was her first kiss like this, and she didn't know exactly what to do, but it was still amazing, and when Kiko pulled away, Sei had never been more embarrassed.

"W-whoa, I didn't know you did stuff like that, Kiko." Sei said, blushing. Kiko shrugged. "Well, looks like we're both horrible at kissing, but what makes it awesome is that we can practise for a lonnnnng time, until we're good." She said.

"I thought you were all innocent and stuff, now I'm finding out differently." Sei said ruefully, rubbing Kiko's back.

Kiko giggled. "And now that we're dating, you're going to find out a lot more than that." She said.

Sei looked at her, surprised. "We're dating?" She asked.

Kiko glared at her. "You mean we're not?" She asked. Sei laughed. "Just kidding." She said. "Of course we are."

Kiko smiled in relief, and hugged her tightly, not minding that their breasts were pressing together, and certainly not minding the mild pleasure she got from it.

They both looked up at the sky, and as Kiko whispered her love into Sei's ear, they admired the beauty of watching snow melt into rain, just a few feet above their heads.

---

_Some time later..._

They had been travelling for almost four hours after they had eaten, and they were ready to stop. It was now quite a bit darker, and snowing a bit harder, and although they didn't get too much travelling done today, they wanted to pack it in early tonight, and get an early start tomorrow.

InuYasha no longer bothered to put up the front of being bothered by the stop so soon, and was glad to get off his feet and lay down. He dropped to the ground underneath the broad branches of a large tree, and watched the snow fall to the ground, just a few feet beyond him, where the cover of the branches ended. He was on dry, snowless ground, and barely felt the cold, but apparently the humans could, he thought, watching Kiko and Sei out of the corner of his eye. He watched Sango do a few stretches, and got an idea. He got up, and shrugged off his haori, walking toward Kiko and Sei.

"Here yo-" He was cut off as something swooped by a few feet away, screaming. InuYasha turned, and threw his haori to the ground as he drew his sword, watching a winged demon fly high into the air, before twisting around, and diving toward InuYasha.

InuYasha ran out onto the path, and saw that the demon was being joined by two others. They dived toward him, speeding to the ground about fifty feet away, then leveling out about five feet from the ground, and using the momentum to fly at InuYasha.

InuYasha raised his sword, and grinned. The demons were flying right for his sword, they must want to be killed.

Right before the lead bird would have impaled itself upon InuYasha's sword, it flared it's wings, stopping almost all of it's forward momentum, surprising InuYasha.

Then the large flying demon reached out with it's talons, grabbing the upward slanting cutting edge of InuYasha's fang. InuYasha didn't have time to tighten his grip on his sword, and it was ripped out of his hand. Then, the bird took to the air, avoiding InuYasha's talons. InuYasha glared at the retreating bird, then too late, he remembered the other two.

He looked down just in time to take the full force of what must have been a three hundred pound bird flying pretty damn fast in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him, and almost knocking him out. He flew through the air, carried by the momentum of the giant bird, before being slammed to the ground. The third demon descended upon him and got in a few good slashes before taking off, retreating before InuYasha could regain his senses. Coughing harshly, InuYasha rolled onto his stomach, pushing himself up on his hands and knees.

Somewhere behind him, he heard Hiraikotsu slice through the air, and the screams of pain from the three demons. Apparently they had all been killed in the single attack, for Sango ran over to him, placing her hands on his waist and gently helping him up. Once he was on his feet, she held his arms up to shoulder height, helping him breathe in, to regain his breath.

InuYasha winced as Sango touched his stomach, and when she lifted his haori, she gasped and winced at the hole gouged out of his abdomen. Sei and Kiko came running over, and for the first time, InuYasha saw how far he had been carried, then thrown. They skidded to a stop in front of him, and InuYasha stared at them, wincing in pain.

"That was fucking embarrassing." Was all he said in greeting, and they laughed, glad to know he was all right.

"InuYasha?" Sango asked, letting go of his arms, and moving in front of him.

"Yeah babe?" He asked, looking at her.

"How the fuck did you get your ass handed to you by three overgrown pidgens?" She asked.

InuYasha shook his head. "I don't even wanna fucking know." He said. "Just don't even go there, I don't know what happened." He said.

Sango laughed, and helped him walk the fifty or so feet back to the camp, and gently lowered him to the ground.

Once he was laid out, Sango motioned that she would be right back, then ran out to the mess of blood, bones and flesh scattered across the path, retrieving her Hiraikotsu.

Once she had it, InuYasha watched her dig around in the mess for a few minutes, before coming back with a jewel shard in her hand. She triumphantly held it up in her hand, the shard gleaming in the light.

"Where'd that come from?" InuYasha asked.

"The bird that tackled you." She said. "Once I saw the speed that it hit you, then make it away unscathed, I figured it would need a shard, or else any normal bird would have broken it's neck upon your abs." She said.

"Why the others are the same size, and they don't possess shards, I'll never know." She said.

"Who pointed out the shards?" InuYasha asked, already knowing the answer.

"Kiko." Sango said. "And that's why she gets the shard." Sango handed it to Kiko, who swore to take excellent care of it.

InuYasha grinned. "Good work, both of you." He said, smiling at Kiko and hugging Sango.

InuYasha leaned against the tree, and released Sango. As she stood, Sei called her name softly, and Sango turned to her.

"Yes?" She asked.

Sei motioned for her to follow, and they went for a walk down the path. Once they were safely out of earshot, Sei started talking.

"Who's Miroku?" She asked.

Sango looked at her. "Excuse me?" She asked. Sei looked at her. "I heard you mention someone named Miroku the other day, I was just wondering who it was." She said.

Sango sighed, and slowed her pace, staring up at the sky.

"Just an old, dear friend." She said. She was silent for a minute, remembering him, and Sei figured that there were some tender feelings there. She stayed silent, waiting for Sango to speak when she was ready.

"Miroku was part of our group, a while back, along with a young girl named Kagome." She said. "They're no longer a part of our group, but we both dearly wish they were." She said.

She was silent for another long while, and when she spoke again, it was with a softer, more emotional tone.

"Miroku and Kagome both died the same day, they were killed together, and I almost died with them." She said.

"What kind of monster would slay two humans, and almost kill you?" She asked. "Where was InuYasha at the time?"

Sango was silent another long moment, trying to figure out an appropriate answer.

"InuYasha was...around, but unable to help us, and the one who did it to us _was _a monster, but not anymore." She said. "Not anymore."

"What was your relationship with Miroku, and Kagome, if you don't mind me asking?" She asked.

Sango was silent.

"Miroku was...special to me." She said. "At the time he got killed, we were both starting to like each other, and there could have been something there, but fate decided against us, and Miroku was taken from me." She said. "Kagome was like my sister, and in some ways, her death was more tragic than Miroku's." She said. "Miroku's time on this earth was limited to start with, but that doesn't make his death any less hard to deal with, but Kagome was only sixteen, I don't even think she had been kissed before, she missed out on so much." She said. She wiped away some tears that had formed and slid down her cheek, and suddenly, Sei was hugging her.

"I'm sorry." She said. Sango shook her head. "Don't be." She said. "The only way they'll be remembered is by telling their stories, and they only way that will happen is by people asking, so after I talk to InuYasha about it, I'll tell you the whole story." She said. "If you want."

Sei nodded. "I'd like that." She said.

Sei hugged her again, and rubbed her back. When Sango pulled away, she looked into Sei's eyes, and blushed.

"Thank you." She whispered. Sei smiled, and leaned up, kissing her on the cheek. "Don't worry about it babe." She said. Sango blushed, and Sei covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry." She said. Sango shook her head. "No, don't worry about it." She said. "Actually, I find it kind of flattering." She said. "I've never been kissed by a girl before."

Sei smiled. "Well, you're a very beautiful girl, Sango." She said. "Really, it's a shame your with InuYasha." Sango's eyes widened, and she took a step back, in surprise.

Sei grabbed her, and pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry Sango." She said. "I won't do anything to try to get you away from InuYasha, or make you uncomfortable."

Sango laughed, and hugged her back.

"I know." She said. "Thanks for listening to me though." She said. Sei smiled. "No problem." Sei held her a bit longer, and when she released her, Sei snuck in one more kiss, on the same cheek.

Sango blushed again, and took her hand. "Come on, let's get back to the camp." She said. Sei grinned, and walked beside her.

"I wonder what InuYasha and Kiko will do after they see us like this?" Sei asked.

Sango laughed. "We'll just keep this our little secret." She said.

Sei nodded, and they returned to the camp, taking their time, walking slow and enjoying each others' company.

---

InuYasha hugged Sango to him, and winced as the mild pain in his abs flared up. Sango leaned forward, and waited for him to get comfortable, before leaning back against his chest. Across from them, with the fire between them, Sei was sitting crosslegged on the ground, with Kiko laying beside her, her head in Sei's lap. Sei absent-mindedly stroked her hair, staring at the fire. As Sango moved to allow InuYasha to get comfortable, Sei looked up, seeing her. She made eye contact with her, and she mimed kissing, with her lips, making Sango smile.

Sei continued to stroke Kiko's head, knowing that what she did wasn't wrong. She loved Kiko, but Sango was a good friend. They hadn't pushed any boundaries, it was just a kiss on the cheek.

Sango leaned back against InuYasha, and he put his head on her shoulder.

"We came a long way from the wary distrust and desire for revenge we had for each other, eh?" She asked.

InuYasha smiled, and kissed her neck. "Oh yeah, a loooooong way."

"Yeah, we started off playing the most deadly game of tag imaginable, and now here we are, a long way from where we used to be, but with a long way to go." She said. InuYasha hugged her from behind, chuckling.

"Ahh, yeah, but I kind of miss those days." He said. Sango turned to look at him. "What, the mindless fear that gripped you whenever the enemy came near, or looked at you?" She asked.

InuYasha laughed. "Well, I don't know about you, but I wasn't ever gripped by any 'mindless fear'." He said.

Sango punched his leg. "I fucking was, your demonic red eyes were terrifying!" She said. "Plus, I was only human, you were a huge fucking demon, it's a wonder I even survived." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, well, I don't miss terrifying you, but I miss chasing you through a thick forest, really late at night, while it's raining heavily." He said.

Sango thought about it. "In a way that wasn't possible back then, looking back now, it really was fun, wasn't it?" She asked.

"We should do it again sometime, whenever there's a dark, rainy night." He said.

"Yeah, and then, maybe at the end, you won't chicken out at the end and actually kiss me." She said. InuYasha laughed. "Maybe, just to piss you off, I won't." He said.

Sango shrugged. "I don't care." She said. InuYasha shook his head. "Yes you do."

Sango laughed. "I know." She said. She twisted around, and kissed InuYasha on the mouth.

"I love you babe." She said, blushing as she did so. InuYasha smiled, and hugged her close. "Love you too."

There was silence, and InuYasha closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. A few minutes later, Sango was asleep, and he allowed himself to fall asleep. It was a light sleep though, he didn't want to risk losing Sango or anyone else to a demon attack. He didn't have to worry about it anyway, he thought, eyes drooping shut. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep was Sei stoking Kiko's head, looking fully awake.

A/N: How's that? Hope you like it, and I apologize for it taking so damn long for me to update. Please read and review. Thanks. Comments and critisizm are appreciated.


	35. Northern Villages

Pure Anger 35.

--This chapter is for the anonymous reviewer 'Whocares666', if this reviewer is still with this fic, I have no intention of getting away from InuYasha and Sango, but many more things are happening, and going to happen, and I can't focus solely on them. Please continue to read and enjoy this fic. A bit more Inu/San this chapter.--

InuYasha awoke, and he knew something wasn't right. He glanced down to see Sango asleep in his arms, and when he glanced over to Sei and Kiko, he saw that Sei was awake, watching him, alert. InuYasha was about to speak, when Sei raised a finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet. Kiko was still sleeping, and Sei got up slowly, so as not to disturb her. She slowly drew her sword, and the gentle sound of sliding metal jolted InuYasha into action. He gently propped Sango up, and slid out from behind her, resting her against the tree. She groaned lightly at the movement, and loss of body heat, but didn't awake. InuYasha put his hand on his sword hilt, but didn't draw it. He silently padded over to Sei, who was now standing.

"Do you feel it?" She asked softly. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, there's something out there." He whispered back. She nodded. "Yeah, a whole lot of somethings."

InuYasha looked around, trying to figure out where the aura was coming from. It seemed to surround their group, lending credibility to Sei's statement that there were a whole lot of somethings, but to InuYasha, it seemed to be only a single aura. A shifting, melding aura that covered the whole area around them, and was slowly getting closer.

InuYasha spun around, trying to catch a scent. For a second, he smelt nothing, and he feared that Sango's demons were haunting her again, but then, there was a slight scent of demon.

InuYasha concentrated on the aura, and Sei looked around, trying to pinpoint the number of demons that were around them. As she moved her foot, she stepped on a twig, and it snapped under her foot. Suddenly, there was a surge in the aura of the surrounding demons, and Sei swore, dashing back to Kiko's side.

"Damn! InuYasha, cover Sango!"

InuYasha turned, and jumped the couple feet that separated him from Sango, and he stood over her, sword drawn. Kiko was still sleeping, and Sei straddled her body, sword drawn.

Silence reigned for a few seconds, and InuYasha's pupils had long adjusted to the darkness that was pre-dawn. He glanced through the darkness of the surrounding barren foilage, and saw only the black outlines of bare trees, devoid of most of their leaves. Then, the silence was broken as about thirty small, wolf-like demons came roaring out of the undergrowth, jumping at the small group from all sides. Sei sprung into action, slashing left and right, and InuYasha mirrored her movements, cutting down any of the demons that got too close.

The roaring awoke Sango, who came awake swiftly, reaching for her sword. She jumped up, and saw that InuYasha was already soaked in blood, and the split carcasses of demons littered the ground.

She glanced over to Sei, and saw her sword slashing through the air, killing any demon that dared to get close. Sango examined them for a second, and saw that they appeared to be small wolves of some type, with dark brown fur, and pure black fangs. Their eyes had dark brown pupils, and their ears were small and triangular, sticking straight up from the skull, instead of being floppy.

She unsheathed her sword, and ran toward a group of them that were coming into their camping area from the path that they were following. She quickly bloodied her sword by impaling one through the throat, but she had no time to see if it was dead. She merely withdrew her sword, and kicked the strangled body away from her, as she focused her sword on more that were swarming toward her.

Sei stood over Kiko, and knew that she must not let any get to her. She slashed downward, and cut a demon in half, before flicking her long sword to the left, and cutting through three more that had leapt toward her, black fangs bared in fury.

She glanced to her right, then behind her to see if she was about to be ambushed, and saw InuYasha hacking away at them with his tetsuaiga, a grin on his face, and excitement in his eyes.

She smirked. _He seems to be enjoying himself._ She thought, kicking out viciously with her heel to catch a slow demon on the side of the head, throwing it to the ground, where it didn't move.

She must have killed upwards of thirty of them now, but there seemed to be no end to them, they poured out of the undergrowth in their surroundings as if the earth itself were spitting them out.

Sei slashed the heads off a few more, and warm blood splashed all over her arms, wetting the ground at her feet. Sei heard a whimper, and looked down to see that Kiko was now awake, but crouching between Sei's legs where she had just been sleeping, not wanting to get attacked, and not wanting to get in Sei's way.

"Dammit, InuYasha, they're so weak, but there's so many of them, I don't think these are just any old demons." She said. "They're trying to kill us with sheer overwhelming numbers, instead of any great power." She said.

InuYasha nodded, and as he turned to cut down one attacking him from the left, he caught a glimpse of Sango tearing into a small pack of them, killing about six of them in a single stroke.

InuYasha growled, and waited until there was a clear in the wall of attacking demons before unleashing his Wind Scar. The Scars tore through the shallow undergrowth through which the demons came upon them, and InuYasha's ears caught the sound of distant yelping and screaming.

Sei watched him unleash the Wind Scar, and for a second, he had no further opposition, but a few seconds later, hundreds of the same small wolf-like demons filled the void left by his Wind Scar.

"Shit, you're right, there's no end to them!" He cursed, and unleashed the Scar again.

Sei, now breathing heavily, slashed at yet another couple of demons that insisted upon throwing themselves against her blade.

"What they lack in strength they make up for in sheer numbers." She said, slaying yet another.

InuYasha laughed. "Don't give up yet Sei, I think their slowing down!"

Sei concentrated, and realized that he was right. Slowly, the number of them that jumped at her from the darkness was diminishing. Knowing that they were almost done renewed her fighting spirit, and she hurriedly cut down three more small wolf demons.

Finally, they were done. Blood and carcasses literally covered the ground, but they were finished. Silence replaced the shashing, howling and yelping, and somehow, it was even worse. The silence rung painfully loud in their ears, and InuYasha sheathed his sword, wondering what was next.

"Well, the scent of blood will no doubt bring scavengers, and we won't want to be here when they come, so let's get an early morning start for that village." Sei said, sheathing her sword.

Sango sheathed her sword also, and sighed. "That was a hell of a way to be woken up." She said.

InuYasha laughed. "Ahh, yeah, let's get going, the earlier we get to that village, the better."

A few hours later, they came to the first village of the northern frontier, they were surprised by it's sparseness, and relatively small size. There were about eight main huts that comprised the living area of the villagers, and one main hut for meetings, perhaps the residence of a leader or lord, and another for weapons or food storage. It was a tiny, quaint village, and as Sango shivered in the mild cold that decended upon them as they entered the village, not a single person was seen inside the village. InuYasha sniffed the cold morning air, the bleak, half-hidden sun doing nothing to warm the air, as he tried to catch the scent of humans.

"It seems this place is totally deserted." Sango said, shouldering her Hiraikotsu agitatedly.

InuYasha grinned. "Or, they've been killed by demons." He said. "This place was supposed to be the target of a bunch of demon attacks."

Sei placed her hand on her sword handle, obviously uncomfortable in the silent, dead village.

"Stay close, Kiko, in case demons are around." She said. Kiko nodded, but being behind Sei, the motion was unseen. She placed a hand on Sei's back, to let her know that she was close.

InuYasha wandered to the middle of the small village, and the others followed him, looking around. "Hmm, not much here." He said. "Pretty pitiful, actually."

Suddenly, there was movement behind one of the huts on the outer edge of the village, and a man stepped into view, holding a sickle. He took a few steps toward them, staring at the ground, then looked up slowly, spotting them.

When he did, his brown eyes widened, and he grinned.

"Friends!" He exclaimed, coming closer. "What brings you to our remote village of the north?"

InuYasha's eyes narrowed as he looked at the guy, and too many things appeared wrong for InuYasha to even count.

"We came to investigate the demon attacks we heard where around here." He said. Beside him, Sango casually placed her hand on her sword handle, apparently seeing something that unsettled her.

"AH!" The man said, grinning wildly. "Fear not friends, there exists no demons here for slaying." He said. The man took a step forward, the sickle in his left hand. There were still about 20 paces between them, so InuYasha wasn't worried. Sei, however, tensed up, and pushed her sword about an inch out of her sheath, breaking the bond between the hilt and the sheath opening.

"What happened to the villagers?" InuYasha called out. "Where are they?"

The man's sickly grin didn't disappear from his face, instead, it only got wider. "Sadly, they were all killed while fending off a horde of demons from destroying the village." He said.

InuYasha snickered. "I thought you said there were no demons to be slain?" He asked.

The man tilted his head as he took another step closer, and still, the wide, sickening grin persisted on his face. His eyes carried a wild look, and the hand holding the sickle was getting restless, the fingers clenching and loosening upon the weapon's handle.

"Did I say that?" He asked. "I don't remember that."

InuYasha sniffed the air again, and felt even more exasperated. "So if demons attacked, why are you still alive?"

The man shrugged. "I'm not from this village. I was merely travelling to this village when I witnessed the attack. I grabbed this sickle, to protect myself, and waited out the attack. When it ended, and the demons receded, I came to check for survivors."

"When was the attack?" InuYasha asked.

"Three days ago." Came the prompt, almost prepared reply.

"What have you been doing these last three days?" InuYasha asked.

"Searching for survivors." The man said.

"For three days? In a village of like, ten huts, max?" InuYasha asked. The man blinked, and the grin only got wider. "Does this not please you?" He asked.

InuYasha disregarded his stupid, non-sensical question.

"How many survivors were there?" He asked.

"Three." The man said.

"Where are they?"

"They are not here." The man said.

"Where did they go?"

"Away from here." The man replied.

InuYasha, keeping a close eye on the man, tilted his head toward his friends.

"As you can probably tell, he's not normal." He whispered. "Note that he said the attack was three days ago, yet there is fresh blood on his sickle. Also, his words don't make sense. Just from that alone you might gather that he is crazy, but theres something more." InuYasha said. "He has no scent, which is the deciding factor. He isn't human, he's a demon in human form."

"So he's being possessed?" Sei asked.

"No, a possession is different from this, the demon can usually be exorcised if he's being possessed, but this demon has _become_ this human, and is imitating it very poorly, from the looks of things. In a possession, the host- the human-, is being controlled, but in this case, there's no human left. The demon has eaten away the insides of the poor human, and is now devouring the outer layers, destroying the body from the inside out. Even if we were to exorcise the demon, there would be no human left after that. In a possession, it's a battle of souls, where the demon soul is exorcised and the human soul regains control of the body. In this case, it's a battle of bodies, and the demon almost always wins."

Sei nodded. "So it's okay to kill that thing then." She said. InuYasha nodded. "Yeah, because the human is already dead."

Sango nodded, and dashed forward, drawing her sword. The man reached out toward her, but Sango cut off the arm. There was little blood, and the arm fell to the ground, and collapsed into itself, no bone or muscle to give it shape.

Sango was about to target the head, when the body exploded outward, a bigger form erupting from the depths of the shell. It appeared to be a demon made up entirely of tentacles, and Sango attempted to cut as many as she could. She cut off the ends of each tentacle that attacked her, but couldn't get to the main body to finish it.

InuYasha jumped in, and drew his sword.

"Okay, out of the way Sango, this bastard is going down!!"

Sango nodded, and dashed out of the way, as InuYasha performed the Wind-Scar. The demon was easily obliterated, leaving Sei to wonder if there wasn't something more to the demon.

"Didn't that demon seem just a bit too easy to beat?" She asked. "Are you sure it's dead?"

InuYasha shook his head. "Sure it looked easy to kill, and it was, but that's the only thing easy about it." He said. "The demons' main abilities are to steal bodies and use them covertly." He explained. "Discovering them is the hardest part, but once you do, they're virtually defenseless. Apparently, this one didn't have too much control over it's body, so it was rather easy to discover."

"Also, the only other way to detect them, besides weird behaviour, is scent." He said, touching his nose. "While weak human noses would never detect that the controlled body wasn't giving off scent, if you brought in a regular demon, someone like Kouga or myself, we can smell the difference immediately."

Sei nodded. "Overall, they don't seem to be that much of a threat."

InuYasha shrugged. "They can be though, because most of them are so good, that if you let your friend out of your sight for about five minutes, perhaps they wander into the woods to urinate or something, they can be taken over, and your friend will come back, looking and acting as normal as you'd ever expect, but you'd have no friend left. You'd be talking to an empty shell, and a demon." He said. "But the demon, until it eats the brain, can read the thoughts and memories, and talk and remininsce, and remember things as if it were the genuine article. You could have known a friend for ten years, the real person for only two, and a demon for the other eight, and you'd never know the difference." InuYasha said. "They're pretty powerful that way."

Sei now saw the demons in a new light. "That's actually pretty morbid to think about." She said. Her eyes flicked to Kiko. As much as she didn't want to think about it, she wondered if the Kiko she knew for so long was actually the Kiko she loved, not just a demon in her friends body.

InuYasha, as if reading her mind, laughed. "Don't worry, everyone here is their real selves, like I said, they can't produce scent." He said. "You're all real."

Sei blushed, but turned to InuYasha.

"What about you?" She asked. "How would we know about you?"

InuYasha grinned. "Well, until we find another demon who'll tell you, you'll just have to trust me." He said, winking playfully.

"So, do we stay here, or do we move on?" Sango asked.

Kiko shook her head. "I do not wish to be a burden, but this place makes me uncomfortable, so if we could avoid staying here, then I would appreciate it." She said.

InuYasha sheathed his sword. "Okay, let's move on." He said. "This place isn't that safe anyway." He said.

"Why's that?" Sei asked.

InuYasha yawned. "The demons hunt in packs, there's bound to be at least ten more of those things around, either using people as hosts, or in their raw, demon form." He said.

Sei took ahold of Kiko's hand, as if she might disappear and reappear as a demon, and held her hand tightly.

"Well, that was a useless detour, but at least we killed a demon." Sei said. InuYasha nodded. "Wasn't really a detour though, if we head through this 'village' and keep going for about ten minutes, we should come to another village." He said.

They walked past the randomly placed houses, and Sei occaisionally checked a random one, checking for any weapons that they might need.

She didn't expect to find anything, and she didn't, but it was good to check anyway. She once again took Kiko's hand, and this time it was noticed by InuYasha.

He grinned, baring his fangs. "Aww, that's cute." He said, laughing. "I notice you two hold hands a lot, is there something we should know about?"

Sei blushed lightly, and was about to release Kiko's hand, when Sango elbowed InuYasha.

"Come on, leave them alone!" She said. "Doesn't matter what they're doing, it doesn't have anything to do with you."

InuYasha laughed. "Okay, okay, they know I was just teasing anyway." He said.

"Yeah, and knowing you, you'll tease them until Sei decides to kick your ass..."

Keiran ran through the forest, breathing heavily. She had been running for the last three hours, but she wouldn't let herself stop for at least another hour. She was dizzy, and light-headed, but she had to be able to run for at least four hours, or she would consider her training lax, and have to step it up. She had sensed many demons wandering through the forest, and she had wanted to go and fight them, but she knew that was just another way for her to divert herself from her training. She had to complete her running; she could fight after.

She jumped into the air, and ripped a pear off a tree, taking a bite out of it as she hit the ground. She was thirsty, and the juices in the pear helped relieve her of her thirst. She continued running, and a few minutes after she was done eating her food, a bit of her dizziness and light-headedness faded. She took a deep breath, and put on a burst of speed, clearing a big ditch, almost a small ravine, that had been cut through the forest some time ago. As she landed on the other side, she continued running, before jumping across a slightly deeper ravine. There were three more after this, and she wondered where they had come from. The third one was the deepest, and she estimated their length to be from anywhere between half a kilometre to a full kilometre long.

She continued running, thinking about the cuts in the earth. They were unusual in a few ways; most ravines were either much deeper, or, if they were that small, then they were covered in with growth and small trees. The ones she had jumped were filled with earth, as if they had just been cut into the earth, and the forest hadn't had a chance to reclaim it yet. Also, there were five in a row...almost like a giant animal had dragged it's claws through the earth. But there were several villages around the forest, and an animal that size wouldn't have gone unnoticed.

She was broken out of her thoughts when a slightly familiar scent reached her nose. It was almost like InuYasha's, and it perked her interest. She turned slightly to the left, and sped up, heading toward the scent. It carried the familiar scent that was unique to InuYasha, but also, the scent of a full demon was underlying it, making it an almost impossible to resist.

As she ducked and dodged trees and rocks, the scent grew stronger, and her heart beat quicker in her chest. Maybe, she thought, InuYasha was somehow tied to this character, so she might be able to see him!

InuYasha, Sango, Sei, and Kiko came into the village, and were surprised by what they saw. Unlike the previous village, this one had a multitude of huts, and activity here was fierce, as all the available villagers were fighting against a horde of six-legged spider demons. As they walked into the village, they were paid no mind as the men of the village protected the main hut in the centre of the village, which was likely to contain all the women and children of the village.

"Should we help them out?" Sango asked.

InuYasha grinned, and drew his sword, transforming it into the fang, and surprising a man running by carrying spears. "You have to ask?" He grinned. He dove into battle, slashing demons left and right, while Sango and Sei broke in different directions, Kiko staying close to Sei.

The villagers noticed the newcomers finally, especially InuYasha and his demon sword, and although they were grateful for the help, they were wary of him. Sure he may be helping them out from the kindness of his heart, but more likely was he planned on taking over the village, and didn't want it destroyed. It was pointless to rule over a destroyed village, after all.

Once the battle was over, InuYasha, Sango, Sei and Kiko were met with thanks and appreciation by the village leader, who carried a long spear.

"May I ask what business you have coming to this far northern village?" He asked. InuYasha sheathed his sword. "We heard there were villages being attacked by demons." InuYasha said.

The leader nodded. "Surely you don't do this of your own free will, slay demons, do you?" He asked. "You yourself appear to be to some extents a demon."

InuYasha snickered. "So? I came to kill them and find any using Jewel Shards, and I do it of my own free will." He said. "And just 'cause I 'appear to be a demon' doesn't mean I'm related to these scum, or owe anything to them." He said, kicking the carcass of a dead demon.

"Hmm, I see." Said the leader. "Well, sorry to offend you, thank you for your timely appearance, I fear we would have been worse off without your assistance." He said. "As a reward, you may stay with us tonight, and we will provide you with food and comfort." He said. His eyes flicked to the women behind him. "I would offer you the company of some women also, but it seems you've got yourself plenty."

InuYasha said nothing, and Sango coughed.

"Thanks." InuYasha said.

"Would you like to join the night festivities with us?" The leader asked.

InuYasha shook his head. "No, I think we'll just go to sleep, then leave early tomorrow, and get out of your way." He said.

The leader smiled, and hefted his large spear. "Very well, my Second will direct you to your rooms."

From the ranks behind him, a girl stepped out, sheathing her sword. She wore a purple hakama, with a purple haori that was tight against her body, and sleeveless. Her long brown hair was held back by a black headband that encircled her forehead. Her deep blue eyes sparkling in the mild light, obscured only partially by her long bangs blowing in the mildly cold wind.

"Follow me, I shall take you to your rooms." She said. Her slender left arm bent as she rested her hand on her sword sheath, and she started walking toward the main set of buildings near the centre of the village. Her left arm appeared to be wounded, a sizeable cut on it near the shoulder, but since she had just gotten out of battle, she hadn't had time to tend to it yet.

InuYasha, and the group followed the woman, as she led them to a large room just off the main wing of the village leader's room. She stopped in front of two separate doors, that were about five feet apart.

"We have two available rooms, so if there are any couples in your group that wish to be together, then they can take a room whilst the others bunk together." She said. "Or you can all stay in a single room, whichever pleases you." She said.

She bowed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must rejoin my ranks, and resume patrols..."

She was about to leave, when Kiko spoke up. "Ahh, that wound on your arm, would you like me to tend to it?" She asked.

The woman stopped, unsure of what to do, then bowed again.

"I'm afraid I do not have much time, so I must decline your offer." She said.

Kiko waved her hand. "It won't take too long." She said. She reached out, and gently placed her hands on the woman's left arm, closing her eyes. She felt the power flowing through her, and a few seconds later, the woman gasped lightly as the cold healing magic flowed through her.

"Th-the pain, it's dissaipating..." She said.

Kiko smiled. "Yes, unfortunately I can't heal the wounds, but I can at least numb the pain until it does heal." She said.

As she took her hands off the woman, she blushed, and bowed deeply. "Thank you, I appreciate your kindness." She said.

As she walked away, InuYasha smirked. "Well, we'll take one room," He said, pulling Sango close to him, "And you two can take the other. Try not to be noisy."

Kiko blushed heavily, while Sei merely nodded, not taking InuYasha's bait.

"Don't worry, I'm sure any noise we make will be drowned out completely by the noise you two make." She said, before entering her room, holding Kiko's hand.

InuYasha cursed. "Damn, didn't expect that comeback..." He said.

He walked inside the room, and saw that it was fairly large, for being a guest room. The walls were all clean hard wood, and so was the floor. The beds stood up off the floor on legs, and the fire pit was a good size, with extra wood piled along one wall.

"Hmm, with all this I'd expect the food to be brought to your rooms, as well." Sango said. InuYasha shrugged. "Hey, at least we get decent rooming for once." He said. "Looks like we showed up just in time."

Sango laughed, and shut the door, while InuYasha started a fire in the fire pit. She started removing her slayer uniform, revealing her wrappings, and her slender, slightly muscled body.

InuYasha got the fire going, and stood up, turning to find Sango standing in front of him, staring at him as she undid her ponytail.

"Hmm, you seemed pretty willing to help the villagers out, why's that?" She asked, smiling.

InuYasha slipped his arms around her. "Well, if I get to fight demons in the process, it's a fair trade, right?" He asked.

Sango finished untying the ribbon that held her hair up, and lowered her arms, placing them around his neck as her hair fell down her back and around her shoulders.

"So," She said, her fingertips lightly touching the back of his neck. "What now?"

InuYasha leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "Now, we sleep, and tomorrow, we spend a long and arduous day looking for demons." He said. "Ever since I got my ass handed to me by the bird demons, there hasn't been a sign of a demon with a Jewel Shard." He said.

Sango kissed him again. "Sleep?" She mocked. "Now, that sounds like a disappointment." She said.

InuYasha laughed. "An' why's that?"

Sango smirked. "I'm not saying anything." She said.

InuYasha slowly started walking backward toward the bed, and when he reached it, he dropped down onto it, his arms around Sango. She laid on top of him, staring down at him.

"So, how long's it been since we been together?" She asked. InuYasha thought about it, then shrugged.

"No idea." He said. She laughed, and slapped his shoulder.

"Idiot, you're supposed to keep track of those things!" She said.

InuYasha shook his head, his hands slipping down her back. "No, the women are supposed to keep track of things, then beat the men up when they can't remember." He said. "At least, that's what my mom told me."

Sango smiled. "She was wise, your mom."

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem you are, how long has it been, anyway?" He asked.

Sango thought about it, but the days seemed to blur together, until she was unable to tell them apart. She blushed lightly. "I can't tell." She admitted.

InuYasha laughed. "There ya go, none of us knows." He said. "But it doesn't matter, we're together, it doesn't matter how long."

Sango hummed, and rested her chin on his chest, staring into his dark golden eyes.

"Ya know," She said, "Looking into your eyes, you have such beautiful eyes, and you've gotta be the most beautiful hanyou I've ever seen." She said. "I love everything about you, even your human side." She said. "I don't think I've ever loved anyone as much as I love you right now." She said.

She reached out and stroked InuYasha's cheek, smiling softly as InuYasha's eyes widened at her praise, and his face darkened.

"Hmm, you're even irrisistably sexy and totally cute when you're embarrassed too." She said. She leaned forward and kissed him, deepening it almost as it started. InuYasha put his arms around her waist, and hugged her close, returning the deep kiss.

Sango slipped her hands inside his haori, and rubbed his shoulders, slowly working the fabric away from his shoulders and down his arms, baring his shoulders and the top part of his chest. She tilted her head down, and kissed his jaw-bone, placing small kisses on his throat and chest, as she slid her hands down his body. InuYasha's hands were on her lower back, and as she slid down his body, he trailed his fingertips up her back.

Sango slowly opened his haori, and slipped her fingertips down his lightly muscled stomach, staring at him as she did. He was still blushing, but his eyes were bright and clear, as he stared back at her lovingly.

"It's nice to have a night to ourselves, eh?" She whispered. InuYasha nodded, and slipped his fingers down her bare back. "Yeah, let's see if we can't make the most of it."

Kiko noted that there was but a single bed, but it didn't bother her, nor did it bother Sei. She started to remove her clothing, but was impeded by Sei slipping her arms around her waist from behind, placing a kiss on the back of her neck.

"Your not planning on going to bed so early, are you?" She asked, her hands sliding up Kiko's shirt to rub her stomach. Kiko smirked, and tilted her head to the left as Sei's lips found the side of her neck. "Hmm, only if you're willing to join me." She said. "If you do, I doubt there'll be much sleeping going on."

Sei hummed, closing her eyes as she sucked gently on Kiko's neck. "Mayyyybe." She said after a minute. She let her hands slide up a bit further, then gently slid her fingertips back down, slipping under the hem of her pants. As her fingers slid further downward, Kiko involuntarily arched her back, and it was her turn to vocalize her pleasure as Sei slipped lightly over some sensitive places.

"Hmnn, keep exploring like that, and we really won't get any sleep tonight." Kiko said, feeling herself becoming aroused. Sei grinned devilishly. "Is that really such a bad thing?"

Keiran skidded to a stop on the edge of the clearing, and leaned over, one hand on her knee, the other on a tree beside her. She was breathing heavily, and out of breath, but she had caught the owner of the mysterious and enticing scent she had caught an hour before. She took a few seconds to calm her racing heart, and wait for the blood to stop pounding in her head, before standing up.

"Quite the unelegant entrance you've made, young demon maiden." The man said, standing beside the a large tree in the middle of the clearing. Keiran shrugged.

"Oh well." She said. "I'm unelegant. Perhaps that's what InuYasha liked about me most." She said.

The man's eyes narrowed just a bit. "That dog is the most unelegant of the most enelegant people I've met." He said. Suddenly, a girl at his side, whom Keiran hadn't noticed, spoke up.

"Do you know her, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, but she has apparently tried very hard to catch me, and demon lord or no, I respect that, and will see what she has to say."

"Sesshomaru, eh?" Keiran asked. "I'm Keiran." She said. "How do you know InuYasha? Are you related?" She asked, tapping her nose, indicating that his scent told her so.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, I am." He said. "He is my younger half-breed brother, what of it?"

Keiran shrugged. "Well..."

A/N: Well, again, sorry for the late update, had to make quite a few changes from the written version, but most of it is still on track.


	36. No time to relax

PA 36

InuYasha awoke early, a gentle knocking on the door serving as the wake-up call. InuYasha opened his eyes to find Sango still beside him, fast asleep, the knocking not seeming to awaken her. InuYasha got up, making sure that Sango was still covered by blankets, before stretching. He walked over to the door, and opened it, looking out. The woman from last night was there, clad in her purple battle uniform, plus a bandage wrapped around her left arm, covering the wound Kiko had healed last night. She stood in front of him, and held up a tray laden with food items.

"I've brought you breakfast, I hope I wasn't too early." She said. "I didn't want to awaken you." She said. InuYasha looked at the food, and felt his stomach growl as his sharpened nose scented the delicious smells.

"It's fine, we wanted to be up early anyway." InuYasha said. He smiled at the woman as he took the tray, and he could tell she was still nervous about waking them up. InuYasha turned and set the tray down on the floor, then turned back to the woman. As he looked at her, he noticed her look back into his eyes, as if she had been staring at her feet for a second.

"So, were you born in this village?" InuYasha asked, leaning against the door frame. The woman nodded, blinking her beautiful blue eyes as her brown hair was blown about by a sudden gust of cold wind. The woman looked away to the left for a second, before looking back at InuYasha, staring him in the eyes.

"Yes, I was." She said. "I joined the military at the age of twelve, and now being fifteen, I have three years of active experience." She said. "I quite enjoy it too." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "Have you been to any warmer villages, or is this the only place you've known?"

The woman smiled for what appeared to be the first time since they had met her last night. "I have known only this village and it's climate, so this is a warm village; at least, for me it is." She said. "Once you live here for a while, you get used to it." She said. "You adapt, and this mild temperature becomes almost unnoticeable."

InuYasha nodded again, and noticed that while she had spoke, she had constantly shifted her eyes down, then to the side, then back to his face. He wondered if she was lying to him, or she was just nervous.

"What's it mean that your the village leaders 'Second'?" InuYasha asked, yawning and stretching, placing his hands on the top of the door frame. The woman shifted her weight from one leg to her other, and looked away again.

"It means that I'm his Second-In-Command, if he were to fall in battle, then I would take leadership of the village, and rule it as if I was the village leader." She said. "From there, I can either choose to stay leader, or elect someone else to become leader in my stead." She said.

InuYasha bit his lip, and nodded. "Hey, my questions aren't making you uncomfortable, are they?" InuYasha asked.

The woman blushed lightly. "What do you mean?" She asked. InuYasha shrugged. "I dunno, just your body language and the way you keep looking away makes me think you'd rather I just end the conversation." He said.

The woman smiled. "Ah, I promise you that's not the case." She said. "It's merely..."

InuYasha raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Well, your nudity makes me a bit uncomfortable, that's all." She said. InuYasha looked down at himself, and realized that he was shirtless, and wore only his white hakama undergarment. His fire-rat kimono was on the floor next to the bed, where it had been thrown last night.

InuYasha coughed, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sorry." He said. The woman smiled. "It's no problem." She said.

InuYasha returned the smile, and then inquired about her name.

"It's Hakase." She said, reaching up to fix her headband.

"InuYasha." Was InuYasha's reply to her unasked question. InuYasha's ear twitched as he heard Sango behind him waking up, and he took it as a conversation breaker.

"Well, you've probably got things to do, so I'll let you go." InuYasha said. "Thanks for bringing the food." He said.

Hakase smiled. "It was no problem." She said. "See you later."

With that, she turned, and started jogging for one of the houses across the village, and InuYasha retreated inside the cabin, closing the door against the rising frigid wind.

InuYasha picked up the food tray, and brought it to Sango's side.

"Hey babe." He said softly, as she woke up. Sango blinked, then smiled at him, pushing off the covers.

"Hey sexy." She said, reaching toward him. She hugged him tightly, before noticing the food tray between them. She let go of him, but he managed to sneak in a kiss on the lips before she got too far away.

"Hmm, this looks good." She said, yawning. She spotted InuYasha's hakama laying on the floor, and she grabbed them, slipping into them quickly to hide her nudity. They were a lot easier to slip into right now than her slayer suit, anyway. InuYasha grinned. "Yeah, the girl brought it over about a minute ago." He said.

"The girl...?" Sango asked, her mind still fuzzy from sleep.

"The girl who showed us to our rooms last night." He said.

Sango nodded. "Ahh, I see." She said.

They both picked at the food, silence reining supreme between them for a few minutes.

"So what do you think?" InuYasha asked, a few minutes later.

Sango grinned, hating that type of random question. "Think about what?" She asked.

"About anything." He said. "This village, me, our situation, Sei and Kiko, anything." He said.

Sango was silent for a second, chopsticks in her mouth.

"Hmm, cold, hot, difficult, and cute." She said.

InuYasha's ear twitched, making Sango giggle.

"Huh?" He asked.

"The village is cold, you're hot, our situation is difficult, and Sei and Kiko are cute." She said. "That's what I think."

InuYasha grinned, and got up onto his knees, leaning forward.

"So you think Sei and Kiko are cute, eh?" he asked, crawling on top of her. Sango nodded, laying back on the floor. She took the chopsticks out of her mouth and laid them on the floor beside her. InuYasha straddled her hips, staring down at her.

Sango stared up at him calmly, studying his face. InuYasha leaned down and kissed her, closing his eyes. Sango reached up and placed her hands on his chest, sliding her hands along his chest and shoulders. InuYasha nipped her gently on the neck, and Sango moaned.

"Jeez, you're such a tease in the mornings." She said, trying to sound non-interested and failing miserably.

"What do you mean I'm a tease?" InuYasha asked.

Sango hummed gently. "Well, you get me all worked up, then leave me hanging." She said. "You never finish what you start, you damn tease."

InuYasha laughed. "Aww, that's just too bad." He said, kissing her collar bone. She was naked except for her wrap, and the red hakama that she had taken off the floor.

"Ahh damn, you look so sexy with just my pants on, and a few bandages covering you up." He whispered in her ear. "I might have to get you out of those."

Sango arched her back as he kissed her neck, pressing her breasts against his chest.

"Hnn...good luck..." She said. InuYasha smirked, and nuzzled her neck. "Is that a challenge?" He asked.

Sango stared at him, her face blushing red, but her eyes clear and focussed. "Maybe..."

InuYasha slipped his hands down her body, stopping near her hips. He kissed her on the mouth, and slowly slipped the hakama off her hips. Sango realized what he was doing, and she broke the kiss, pushing him away and laughing. She quickly pulled his hakama up, and stood. She took a few steps away, realizing that his pants didn't even come close to fitting her. They were loose around her hips, and hung down past her feet. InuYasha laughed and got up, chasing her around the room.

Sango shrieked, and ducked his groping hands, as he lunged toward her, and she dodged to the left. She stumbled over the baggy pants, and almost tripped. InuYasha made another grab for her, and got her, slipping his hands around her waist and keeping her from getting away. Sango struggled to get away from him, even as he ducked his head toward her chest.

He kissed her on the collarbone, before taking the edge of her wrap in his teeth and ripping part of it.

"InuYasha!" She shrieked, laughing. His puppy ears twitched against her chest as he tried hurriedly to tear off her wrap while holding on tight to her. Sango only had one available hand to fend him off, for her other was valiantly holding up her pants.

InuYasha succeeded in ripping a bit more of her wrap, but Sango twisted out of his grasp. She took a few steps away from him, laughing, before he tackled her to the floor. InuYasha grabbed her arms, and pinned them over her head, holding them down with one hand. He slid his other hand down between her legs, realizing for the first time just how thin his kimono was.

There wasn't much fabric separating his hand from her body, and it only took a few seconds of rubbing before Sango was moaning softly in his ear. InuYasha finally took this chance to bite through the rest of the wrap hiding her breasts, and it fell off, revealing her perfect breasts, and slightly hardened nipples.

Sango shivered at the loss of her wrap, but knew that more was on it's way.

Arms still pinned above her head by InuYasha, Sango knew she was defenseless against InuYasha's advances. It didn't bother her though, she was enjoying it rather nicely.

InuYasha licked her breast softly, swiping his pink tongue along the side of her breast, straying dangerously close to her nipple. Sango felt a wave of semi-pleasure streak through her, and she wanted to beg InuYasha to lick her nipple, increasing the pleasure, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

InuYasha knew that he was in control though, and he took his time heightening her pleasure. He switched to her other breast, licking and nipping it, never going long enough or close enough to her nipples to ensure any amount of real pleasure.

Now, though, he was starting to feel wetness creeping through his pants that she was wearing, and he knew that he was getting her good. He smirked, and kissed a trail down her stomach, stopping at her belly-button. He could no longer hold her arms above her head, so he brought them around to her sides and held them there. The only disadvantage was that he now needed one hand to hold each wrist. It didn't bother him though, and he continued with his ministrations.

He licked at her stomach, taking the edge of his hakama in his teeth. He gently pulled his pants off her hips a few inches, then kissed the skin revealed, before repeating the process.

Sango was now wanting him so bad she was actually helping him, wiggling her hips to encourage the pants to slide down further every time he took the hem in his fangs. InuYasha never let it slip too far down too fast though, wanting to drag it out and make her wait.

Next door, Sei and Kiko were awakened as they heard a loud thump coming from InuYasha and Sango's room. They raised their heads, and looked at the wall that they shared with them, wondering what was going on. A few seconds later they heard Sango shriek, then laugh, followed by another thumping sound.

Kiko looked at Sei, and smiled.

"Guess some people just really enjoy it in the morning." She said. Sei shook her head, smiling, and got out of bed. Her weapons and most of her clothes were in the corner of the hut, along with Kiko's. Kiko got out of bed, and dressed quickly, lest anyone come in to visit. Sei copied her move, dressing swiftly. She wasn't used to the frigid temperatures, so when she hugged Kiko, she was content to hold her for a few minutes, relishing the warmth she gave off. The hugging swiftly turned to kissing, and would have progressed further, if not for a knock at the door that made them pull away blushing, with a mad scramble to straighten their clothes and lick their bruised lips.

Sei took a few seconds to compose herself, before opening the door.

She immediately recognized the woman from the night before, and smiled at her.

"Hey." She said.

"Hello." The brown haired lady said, introducing herself. "I came to deliver some food to you, I hope I didn't wake you up." She said.

Kiko came to the door, and slipped her arm around Sei's waist, waving to the woman.

"Hi!" She said happily.

Sei smiled, and shook her head. "No, we were already up." She said. "Thank you for your consideration though." She said.

The woman smiled, and handed the food laden tray to Sei. "Well, I must take leave now." She said, bowing. She straightened, then looked at Kiko. "Thank you ma'am for what you did last night." She said.

Kiko waved it off. "It was nothing." She said. "Speaking of which, how is your wound?"

"Ah, it's healing nicely, and it's free of pain, thanks to you." She said.

Kiko smiled. "That's good." She said. "Oh, but you have to leave."

The woman nodded.

Sei held up the food. "Thank you."

The woman said nothing, she merely bowed, and took her leave.

Sei and Kiko retreated into the cabin, shivering.

"Whoo! Damn, I don't know how they live with it." Sei said, seemingly the most susceptible to the cold.

Kiko giggled, and pulled a blanket from the bed.

"C'mere babe." She said. "Snuggle with me whilst we eat."

Sei happily obliged, snuggling close to her girl, sharing the food with her.

"Well, what do we do now?" Sei asked, taking small pieces of fish and chewing slowly.

Kiko shrugged. "Well, we'll wait till things quiet down next door, then go over and see what they're planning." She said. "After all, they're going to eventually find Naraku, and we want to be there when they finally do." She said.

Sei nodded. "Yes, yes I do."

(Back to Keiran and Sesshomaru)

Keiran smiled at Sesshomaru.

"Well?" She asked.

"What you proposition to me, you do so with absolutely no knowledge of me." He said cooly. "You dare think that I will take you on as an apprentice?" He asked. "Knowing that you've associated with that whelp of my younger half-sibling, I think I might catch something." He said.

Keiran shook her head.

"Oh no, you're wrong." She said quickly.

Beside Sesshomaru, Jaken gasped loudly, never hearing someone call his master wrong and live more than ten seconds after that. Indeed, Sesshomaru's claws were flexing, but he had more self-control than that. He stared at her patiently, his ice-cold eyes almost glaring, but not quite.

"Your brother told me all about you." She said. "Told me that you're an arrogant ass, who thinks he owns the world, and that you have no thoughts for anyone except yourse-"

Sesshomaru cut her off, clearing the distance between them in a heartbeat. He shoved her up against a tree, and his claws were at her throat.

"Did he tell you that I could kill you before you knew I had even moved?" He asked softly, his sharp golden eyes staring into her own black ones.

Keiran, surprised at his sudden movement, managed a weak smile. "Yeah, in fact I was just getting to that part." She said cockily.

"Lord Sesshomaru, why don't you just kill this insolent whelp?" Jaken asked.

Sesshomaru didn't even have to turn to Jaken to silence him; his tone carried all the malice and dangerous intent that his gaze would.

"Jaken. Silence."

Jaken fell silent, and said no more, twiddling the staff of two heads between his small green hands.

Sesshomaru gently pressed his claws against Keiran's throat, and stared deeply into her eyes.

"Well?" He asked.

"Well what?" Keiran countered, feeling her fear of him starting to diminish.

"Are you wanting me to end your life?" He asked. Sesshomaru then quickly checked himself. He had almost put emotion into his voice, and that's something he couldn't afford to do.

"Naw, that would counter my desire to have you train me." Keiran said, grinning at him.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, and he pressed harder.

"What didn't you understand about me telling you that this one doesn't take apprentices?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I don't care about that." She said, waving her hands. "Let's push aside those thoughts for now, and concentrate on you training me how to kill people."

Now, Sesshomaru's claws were beginning to draw blood, but he refused to kill her. If he killed her now, it would prove to be out of anger or agitation, and he couldn't let anyone know that this wench had hackled him beyond anything he'd been before.

"I could kill you, for starters." He said softly.

"Hmm, now that I look at you, you are quite attractive." She said. "You remind me of a refined version of InuYasha." She said.

If Sesshomaru's self-control hadn't been honed to the point of perfection, he would have gutted her where she stood.

"Him and I are simply in a different class." He hissed softly. "So don't compare us."

Suddenly, Rin ran up to Keiran, and grabbed her leg.

"Please, Lord Sesshomaru, don't kill the girl, she's funny!"

Both looked down at Rin, the tense moment between them gone.

Sesshomaru looked at Keiran the same time Keiran looked back to him, but there was no emotion in his eyes, nothing to indicate that he would respect Rin's ways.

There was a long, silent moment in which Sesshomaru looked back and forth between pleading Rin clutching Keiran's leg, and Keiran grinning mockingly at him.

Then, his intelligence was put to work, as he slowly pulled away.

"This is how it will be done." He said. "I refuse to train you, for there is nothing to train." He said. "However, if you wish to watch some of my fighting, and swordsman skills, then you will follow me, and take care of Rin." He said. "You will find your own food, as well as Rin's, and keep out of my way and out of my business." He said. "Otherwise, I'll kill you where you stand."

Keiran felt a shudder run down her spine, and for a second she realized that he was entirely serious.

"D-deal." She stuttered, and Sesshomaru glared down at her distastefully. "I don't make deals with anyone." He said. "This is an agreement, based on conditions that pertain to me only. It isn't a deal." He said.

Keiran said nothing, instead she glanced down at the girl. The girl looked up at her, then realized that she was still holding on to her. She let go, and gave a tiny bow.

"Hi, I'm Rin. I used to be mute, but when Lord Sesshomaru saved me, I suddenly got my voice back. Now I love to talk, and sometimes people tell me I talk to much." She said. "What about you, what's your name?"

Keiran stared down at the big excitement in the tiny package, and wondered what she had gotten herself into. "I'm Keiran." She said. "Nice to meet you."

Sesshomaru had wandered a few feet away, but now he turned to face Keiran. She caught the motion and looked up. As her eyes met his, she felt herself paralysed by his gaze, which seemed to exude anger.

"Listen to me and listen carefully, Keiran." He said. "If anything happens to Rin whilst under your care, consider yourself dead." He said. "Running to the ends of the Earth won't save you if any harm befalls that girl."

Keiran nodded weakly, and wondered what it was about his peircing glare that was so strong.

Rin took her hand, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Come on!" She said. "Let's go look for berries!"

Training forgotten, Keiran ran into the woods, chasing after the girl. She had no idea what she had gotten herself into, but she figured she was about to find out.

Back in the Northern village, a young boy strode purposefully toward a young, brown-haired woman. He stepped in front of her, surprising her.

"Um, can I help you?" She asked.

Without removing his mask, he spoke.

"Have a half demon, demon slayer, and two women come to this village recently?" He asked.

The woman frowned, then nodded. "Yes." She said. "In fact, they're staying in those huts over there." She said, pointing. "The woman's slayer uniform resembled yours, actually." She said. "Are you from the same clan?"

The boy offered no replys; instead, he turned and strode toward the huts. A few feet away, he took his chain sickle into his hand. Surely by now the half-demon had sniffed him out.

Sure enough, the door on one of the huts opened, and the silver-haired half demon was glaring at him with a grimace on his face, the demon-slayer behind him.

"Kohaku...come to attack us again?"

"InuYasha. Prepare for your death." Was all he had to say. Then he attacked.

A/N: That's all for this chapter. It's getting pretty close to the end, and that makes me a bit sad. I rather enjoyed working on this one, and I'll be sad to stop, but at the same time rather happy to finally complete it. As always, please review, let me know what you think.


	37. Torn By Naraku

Pure Anger 37

A/N: This fic is definitely not discontinued! Updates have just been really spaced out due to school. But it's grade 12, so whatever. I just wanna get it done and overwith. Anyway, here's the next chapter. As always, please review, and let me know what you think.

InuYasha easily side-stepped Kohaku's attack, and countered bare-handed. He couldn't use his sword; he promised Sango that he wouldn't hurt her brother. As he pushed aside Kohaku's punch, and threw an easy left at him, he wondered if the boy had developed any skills since they last met.

As always, the faint stench of Naraku lingered on Kohaku, but for some reason, it seemed stronger today...InuYasha was kicked out of his thoughts as Kohaku threw his chain sickle. InuYasha deflected the weapon bare-handed, punching it aside. Almost immediately, Kohaku resumed attacking with his fists, and InuYasha almost laughed at his attempt; too late he realized the bare-handed attack was a ruse. Swiftly, Kohaku whipped the counter-weight attached to the opposite end of his chain-sickle across InuYasha's face. InuYasha squeezed his eyes closed and gritted his teeth as he took the hit on the side of the head, dangerously close to his temple. The impact knocked him back a few steps, as a sharp pain erupted in his head. He glared at Kohaku, who stood before him expressionless, spinning the sickle in his right hand, and the weight in his left, the chain drooping toward the ground in front of him.

"Fuck, I wanna hit this kid so badly..." He mumbled, watching Kohaku closely. He sniffed the air, trying to catch a warning of what Kohaku's next move might be, but instead caught a shift in the scent of Sango. Her natural scent was laced with anger, and a slight trace of fear, and he knew that she had heard him. He would have to apologize for that later, he decided.

Suddenly, two more scents reached his nose, and he realized that Sei and Kiko had joined the scene. Sei came into his vision, standing on his left, and he assumed that Sei had told Kiko to go wait under the protection of Sango.

The standoff was interrupted as Kohaku's eyes slid from InuYasha, to Sei, then to Kiko, a few feet behind them.

"Got yourself a new priestess, huh InuYasha?" He asked, his voice muffled by his mask. "I wonder how long it'll be until she's killed too? Tell me InuYasha, will you finish her off too? Just like the last one?"

InuYasha took a second to look behind him at Kiko, and as he laid eyes upon her he swore that for a second he was staring at Kikyo. He blinked, and suddenly Kagome stood in her place, looking at him nervously. He shook his head, and Kiko stared back at him. InuYasha felt his heart racing, and he felt a jolt run through him.

_No. They aren't the same. Kiko doesn't even look similar to either Kikyo or Kagome..._

He looked back to Kohaku, staring into his lifeless eyes.

"Well, in any case, she's under the protection of a human and a half-demon," Kohaku said, still spinning his chain-sickle around. "So it's only a matter of time before she's killed. WIll it be a slow death, I wonder, like Kikyo, or a swift death like Ka-"

"SHUT UP!" InuYasha screamed, his deep voice climbing to a feral scream laced with the anger of past painful memories. He ripped the sword from his side and tossed it away before lunging at Kohaku. Kohaku showed no emotion as he blocked and evaded Inu-Yasha's closed-fisted attacks, the exact opposite of InuYasha, who was alive with emotion. Sango's screams didn't reach his ears, and he paid no heed to what she said. He had even left Sei behind, as she hesitated, wondering if she should attack the boy, or defend him from InuYasha's claws.

Blinded by anger, it wasn't long before Kohaku saw a hole in InuYasha's wild attack. Swiftly, he thrust his chain-sickle through the gap presented, slicing it across InuYasha's cheek. InuYasha growled, but barely felt it. Instead, he pressed the attack, not letting up. Kohaku deflected most of InuYasha's punches off the side of his sickle, using the weighted end as a deterrent and dodging whatever other punches InuYasha managed to throw.

Finally, just as InuYasha realized his angered punches were getting nowhere, something changed in Kohaku, and he stopped playing defensively. He aimed the tip of his sickle at InuYasha's next punch, forcing InuYasha to drop his hand lest he be impaled. Kohaku took the opportunity to raise his leg and kick InuYasha in the chest, pushing him back a few steps. Kohaku didn't press the attack, and he seemed to be gauging InuYasha's reaction to his earlier words.

InuYasha wiped his cheek off, breathing heavily. Then Kohaku spoke.

"Well, what does it matter. The bitch will die, if not by your hand then by mine." He said.

Relapse happened so fast there was no way he could resist it. Right now though, he figured it wasn't something he wanted to resist. He welcomed the full demon transformation as a release, and didn't try to stop it. Kohaku's words, combined with the loss of contact with his sword meant there was very little sub-conscious resistance, and it was only a half second before the power and anger of the full demon enveloped him completely. The transformation wasn't resisted, and because of that, there was almost no sign that he _had_ transformed. Only Kohaku, who could see his blood-red eyes, knew that the full demon had come out.

InuYasha lunged at Kohaku, and ignored the sickle thrown at his face. The blade scraped by his neck, but he didn't feel it. What he did feel was his hand wrap around Kohaku's neck, his claws digging into the weak, soft flesh of his throat. His other hand ripped the chain out of Kohaku's hand, tossing it away before throwing the boy to the ground.

By now Sango knew that there was something wrong, and yelled InuYasha's name. InuYasha showed no indication that he had heard her, not even an ear-twitch, which had become customary whenever Sango said his name. Sango grew fearful that he had turned all-demon, and took a few hesitant steps toward him. Sei stopped her, and shook her head, not knowing what was going on, but knowing that InuYasha had become too angry, and had taken a lethal offensive with Kohaku.

"Sei, I nee-"

"No. I don't know what's up with him, but I don't think it's safe to go near him." She said.

Sango shook her head. "I think he's gone all-demon again." She said.

"What?"

"Being half-demon, sometimes the demon blood in him takes control and makes him utterly unstoppable, and completely violent." She said.

"All the more reason to stay away from him, then." Sei said. "Let's wait and see what happens."

"But-" She was silenced as they both noticed Kiko beside them. They turned to see what she was doing outside, instead of in the relative safety of the hut. They noticed her tears right away, and saw the way her whole body was shaking uncontrollably.

"K-Kiko, what's wrong?" Sei asked, rushing to her side. Kiko shook her head, and stared at InuYasha.

"I don't know what's wrong with InuYasha, but he's scaring me..."

A quick glance to InuYasha showed him picking Kohaku up off the ground by his throat, and raising him into the air. InuYasha had turned toward them partially, and they could all see that his fangs had grown out over his bottom lip, giving him a terrifying look. It affirmed their suspicion that he was full-demon, and made Sango realize that Kohaku's life was in danger.

"I...I have this feeling...right here..." She touched her chest, never taking her eyes off of him. "He's not himself. He feels different somehow..."

Sango wondered what she was talking about, and wondered how she could "feel" InuYasha. She hurriedly put it out of her mind as Kiko spoke again.

"InuYasha needs to be saved...or he won't be himself...ever again." Her eyes were wide with fear, and Sango felt herself becoming worried. How could Kiko say all of this? What did she know about InuYasha being full-demon?

A soft thump drew their attention back to InuYasha, and they saw that he had slammed Kohaku back down into the ground. They watched as he picked him back up, then threw him down again.

"Stop..." It came out as a whisper, but InuYasha's ears twitched as Kiko spoke.

"Stop InuYasha..." InuYasha hesitated, Kohaku back in the air, ready to be slammed into the ground again.

The gaze of both Sango and Sei slipped back and forth between Kiko, and InuYasha, staring in amazement as InuYasha obviously responded to her words.

Kiko took a step toward InuYasha, and InuYasha whirled around to face her fully, growling at her as Sei stepped in front of Kiko protectively.

"Sei, leave me. If I have these priestly powers as everyone suspects I do, then I might be able to calm him down."

Sango felt a sharp pain at her words, realizing that she didn't have the...the what? Bond? Connection? Ability, maybe, to reach InuYasha? Whatever it was, she didn't have it, and this girl did. She could possibly help InuYasha in his demonic state, while herself would remain useless. Her thoughts turned to Kagome, who also had that power over him.

_Why?_ She thought, watching Kiko take slow steps toward InuYasha, Sei following and watching InuYasha closely for signs of attack.

Kiko quickly traversed the ten or so feet that had separated them, and now stood directly in front of InuYasha. His right arm was in the air, his right hand clutching Kohaku by the throat, but his left arm was by his side, and more than he needed to finish off both Kiko and Sei in his current state.

"Put the boy down." She said. "Please InuYasha...please..."

InuYasha hesitated only a second before obeying her, dropping the boy to the ground. Kohaku hit the ground and coughed, grasping at his throat. As InuYasha stared at Kiko, Kohaku took the opportunity to scurry away, crawling on his hands and knees until he was a safe distance from InuYasha.

Sango came up to Kiko's side, and stared at InuYasha, wondering if he would revert back to his hanyou form. He seemed frozen now, confused, as his red-tinted gaze slid from Kiko, to Sango, to Sei and back again. Nobody said anything, and the only sound was of InuYasha's heavy breathing. Sango stared at InuYasha, wondering what to do, when out of the corner of her vision she saw Kiko reach out.

Kiko placed her hand on InuYasha's chest, and InuYasha jerked away from her touch, growling slightly. Kiko stared at him, seemingly unafraid.

"Now now, don't be like that." She said sternly. "Just relax, InuYasha."

Her voice seemed to reach him again, and he didn't move as she reached out and touched him again. At first it appeared that nothing was happening, but then a few seconds later, the red faded from his eyes, leaving the beautiful gold that Sango longed to see.

"A-are you okay?" Kiko asked. InuYasha nodded slowly, staring down at her. "I'm okay." He looked around to everyone else. Sango seemed relieved to have him back, but Sei seemed pissed off.

That was when he realized that Kiko's hand was still on his chest. Before he could say anything, she bowed her head, resting her forehead on his chest and sliding her hand down to his stomach.

"I'm glad." She whispered. "I'm glad you didn't kill that boy."

InuYasha opened his mouth to respond, but a whiff of Sei's scent laced with anger made him think better of it. Instead, he pulled gently away from her and turned around, just in time to see Naraku appear next to the injured Kohaku.

InuYasha flexed his claws, and snarled at Naraku.

"What do you want?" He asked. "You want me to kill you?" He asked. Beside him, Sei was trembling at the sight of Naraku, but InuYasha could smell her fear dissipating, and feel her anticipation growing. All thoughts of their previous situation were forgotten, if only for the moment.

Naraku laughed his low, scheming laugh, and held up a hand. As always, his face was covered by his baboon fur, and he kept his head bowed to eliminate any chance of catching a glimpse of his face.

"I come not to fight, InuYasha, but to offer your companions a _peaceful_ solution to their problems."

InuYasha could hear the malice and sarcasm in his voice, but something made him stop and listen. Naraku came up with something peaceful?

"I know why each and every one of you hunt me." He said.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow. "So? Why's that matter?"

Naraku laughed again, a low chuckle. "Because. If I may make some offering to appease you, then you'll have no reason to spend the rest of your life hunting me down." He said. "You could go about your normal lives."

InuYasha laughed. "There's always some scheme behind all your deals and plans, Naraku. I'm not gonna fall for this one."

"You won't. But who says your friends won't?"

InuYasha growled nervously. "What's your scheme?" He asked.

Naraku smiled.

"Well. You've all got reasons to kill me. So if I were to take away those reasons to kill me, then there would be no problem, right?"

InuYasha felt his muscles tense up. "What are you...?"

"Let's see. Sango here, she hunts me, no doubt, to reclaim her lost brother and to avenge her family." He said. "If I were to give her Kohaku back, would that be enough to satisfy her, I wonder?"

Sango said nothing; hearing that there was a chance to get Kohaku back was playing on her mind, something Naraku knew would happen.

"As for Sei...well, why don't you tell us why you hunt me, hmm?"

Sei gritted her teeth and growled, tightening her grip on her sword. "Shut the hell up you evil bastard!"

Naraku laughed once more, not a pleasant sound. "Well...She seeks to kill me-"

"SHUT UP!" Sei yelled, her voice frantic.

"-Because she thinks it will cure the nagging guilt that plagues her mi-"

"Shut up! Shut up shut up!"

"-nd over the slaughter of her en-"

Sei lunged forward, but was knocked to the ground as Kohaku leapt to his feet, shoving her to the ground and preventing her from reaching Naraku.

"-tire village...and of Kiko's parents." He finished softly. "She thinks that she can blame that one on me, but I had nothing to do with that...that was all you Sei."

From beside Sango, Kiko slid her gaze from Naraku to Sei, disbelieving.

"S-Sei...? He isn't telling the truth...is he? You said that he was responsible for the killings...and..."

Sei said nothing; denial was futile, and irrelevent. Kiko took Sei's silence as a confirmation of Naraku's words, and a chill flowed through her body as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

"Please tell me it isn't true Sei..." Kiko whispered softly.

Sei said nothing, and didn't meet Kiko's gaze from where she sat on the ground.

"I can fix all your problems. Sei, I can rid you of the guilt that I know drives you every day, and Sango, I can give you your brother back. And if you want, Miroku and Kagome as well." He said. He was silent for a second, watching them contemplate the offer.

"All you have to do is-"

"Hah! I knew it!" InuYasha said. "You want something, you bastard, and chances are its-"

"It's your death, InuYasha." He said. He turned to the girls. "Your problems can be solved. Just kill the hanyou."

InuYasha felt Sango's eyes on his back, as well as Sei's. For a split second, he could feel them _both _actually considering his offer, before they both turned him down.

"No." Was all Sango said. Sei merely shook her head.

"Very well. It's obvious that you refuse now, but consider the offer. It will be open to you both for a few days. Just remember, as long as InuYasha dies, whether by both of you, one of you, or by some accident, you each get your lives back. Remember that. Temptation will lead you astray. But the rewards will be great."

Sango gritted her teeth, wondering how InuYasha must feel, and lunged forward, drawing her katana. Before she could even strike, Kohaku blocked the downward swung swordstroke, and countered, kicking her in the stomach and knocking her back.

"I must take my leave now." Naraku said. "Think carefully about what I said. The tricks and games are over. I want InuYasha dead, and I will reward you both generously if it happens."

With that, Naraku took off, moving quicker than they would have thought possible. Within seconds, he was gone from sight, Kohaku disappearing along with him.

"InuYasha?" Sango asked, getting up off the ground and walking up to her hanyou. She wondered why he didn't attack when she did, or even before.

"You okay?" She stepped in front of him, and looked up into his face. "Hello?"

InuYasha looked down at her, and Sango blinked, taking a step back as she realized that InuYasha was glaring angrily at her.

"Back off." He said. "I know how much Miroku, Kagome and Kohaku mean to you, and I ain't taking a chance letting my guard down near you." He said. "So ju-"

Sango stepped closer to him, feeling anger coursing through her. She reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to her.

"Fuck off!" She yelled. "I didn't say that I love you, I didn't say that my whole heart is yours, and MEAN IT, just to throw it all away on some fake promise that we both know he has no intention of keeping!"

Sango stared into InuYasha's eyes, and realized that the unknown emotion staring back at her was fear. The boy was scared. Happiness had just been promised to two people who had known nothing but suffering their whole lives, and his life was the only cost.

As Sango relaxed her fist, she could feel InuYasha trembling beneath her fingers. Immediately, the anger faded from her voice, and she tried to put herself in InuYasha's situation. She could understand why he was terrified, especially when faced with the terrible powers of manipulation that Naraku possessed.

"Oh InuYasha..." She sighed, and slipped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. "I'm not going to do anything like that, love." She said. "I promise."

Beneath her hands, InuYasha's muscles were tense and taut, and his hug lacked the warmth that it usually held. She knew though, that it would take a bit of time before InuYasha realized he had no reason not to trust her.

Sango wanted to continue hugging him, to let him know that she would never do anything to hurt him, but Kiko's situation nagged at her mind. She pulled away; InuYasha wasn't responding to her affection anyway.

As Sango looked toward the two girls, her surprise must have been obvious, for InuYasha followed her gaze after seeing the expression on her face.

Kiko was slowly taking small steps backward, staring in disbelief at Sei. Sei held her hand out, trying to calm down Kiko.

"P-please, listen to me Kiko. It was-"

"Shut up..." Kiko whispered, staring at Sei with a mixture of anger and disgust. "To think that I _loved_ you..." Kiko shuddered, and the hurt was plainly visible on Sei's face.

Sei took another few steps toward her friend. "Kiko..."

"Back off!" Kiko yelled, lunging forward and throwing a punch at Sei. Too surprised to react, Sei took the punch on her cheek, and it knocked her to the ground. Stunned, that was where she remained, staring at Kiko.

Eyes narrowed, Kiko glared at Sei.

"Don't EVER come near me again. I fucking hate you."

With that, the tears finally came, and Kiko took off running, heading toward the forest on the outskirts of the village.

InuYasha, not wanting to be near Sango, nor Sei right now, slid his gaze back and forth between them. Neither of them made a move to chase the girl, so he shrugged.

"Feh. I'll go make sure she's okay." He said to no one in particular, before taking off after her.

Sei watched InuYasha run after Kiko, and knew that InuYasha was chasing after her heart.

Sango watched InuYasha disappear after Kiko.

"Bring her back safe babe..." She whispered. She looked to Sei, and what she saw nearly made her heart break. Sei was still on the ground, looking as if her whole world had fallen apart. Sango kneeled down next to her and looked at her sympathetically.

_What do you say to someone in this kind of situation?_ She wondered.

A few quiet voices reached Sango's ears, and she looked over her shoulder to see a few of the villagers gathering, staring at them questioningly.

Sango sighed, and stood up.

"Come on," She said, taking Sei's hand. "Let's get into one of our cabins before we draw a bigger crowd."

Sei slowly stood. Sango slipped her arm around her shoulders, and guided her toward the cabin that herself and InuYasha had shared last night. She figured that the last thing Sei wanted was to be surrounded by all the things Kiko owned.

As they entered, Sango sat down on the bed, and pulled Sei down beside her.

"She hates me." Sei whispered, looking up at Sango with tears in her eyes. As the tears slid down her cheeks, her hands began to shake. Sango shook her head. "You know she doesn't." Sango said, rubbing Sei's shoulder.

Sei shook her head. "She told me. She told me she hates me." Sei wiped tears from her eyes, but more quickly replaced them. "And it's not like she doesn't have good reason to, either." She said.

"You mind telling me what happened?" Sango asked. "I don't wanna pry though, so it's okay if you don't wanna."

Sei was silent for a minute. When she spoke, her voice was low, and shaky. "I'll explain it in more detail later, when InuYasha and Kiko get back, but it's enough to say that I made a mistake. I killed a village's worth of people, including Kiko's parents, some years ago. I've been taking care of her ever since, and she wasn't there when the killing took place, so she never knew it was me, until now."

Sango nodded slowly. "Okay. If you feel like it, you can share when they get back." She said. Sei nodded. "I will. You guys should know anyway."

--

InuYasha chased after Kiko, and was surprised to find that she was quite the little runner, for a human. Whether or not she knew he was following her, he didn't know, but he sure wasn't trying to be stealthy about it. He stayed about twenty feet behind her, and watched her tear through the forest, uncaring as branches whipped at her skin.

She ran for about ten minutes before slowing to a stop. Her crying had stopped, but InuYasha still heard the occasional sob and hiccup from her. He walked slowly toward her, careful to make some noise so she knew he was approaching. He sat down beside her, and said nothing. It was enough for her to know he was here.

They were both silent for what must have been half an hour, before Kiko spoke.

"I can't believe she did that." She whispered. "I can't believe it."

InuYasha, sitting on her right, looked over at her.

"I don't know her too well, but it seems to me that it isn't something she would do so lightly." He said. "Once you're calmed down, you should come back and hear her out, see what really happened." InuYasha said. He looked away from her, and stared at the ground at his feet.

Kiko nodded, seeming to have calmed down a bit already. "Yes, that would be the most logical thing to do." She said, regaining some of her more formal speech.

InuYasha shifted his gaze from the ground to her face, and felt his heart ache for the poor girl. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes, and there were five or six small scratches on her face, and countless more all over her body.

She was silent for a few minutes, before speaking again.

"I can't believe that I actually said what I said to her." She said softly. "What if she hates me forever for saying that? I never meant it, I was just so..."

InuYasha risked sliding his arm around her shoulder, and she didn't pull away. "She knows, Kiko, don't worry about something like that." He said. "After what you heard, something like that is to be expected."

Kiko nodded slowly, but didn't say anything. Instead, she leaned into InuYasha, and he turned toward her, wrapping her in a hug.

"In a bit we should go back, and sort things out." He said. He hugged her tight, and she returned the squeeze, nuzzling him softly, her face in the crook of his neck.

"It's just...I don't know where to go from here." She said. "I mean, part of me feels like I overreacted, because it happened when I was really young. I barely remembered my parents, so...But part of me feels like my anger was justified, you know?"

InuYasha said nothing. Instead, he pulled away from her just enough to look her in the eye, their noses almost touching.

"Whether or not it was justified is up to you." He said. "I mean, like I said, I don't know too much about you two, but it seems that she took pretty damn good care of you so far." InuYasha said. "That's gotta be worth something, at least."

Kiko nodded, the tip of her nose brushing against InuYasha's nose. Her eyes never left InuYasha's golden orbs.

"But what worries me the most is the thought that she's just taking care of me as some way to ease her guilt. What if, in some small part of her heart, she absolutely hates me, and doesn't like the time we spend together? What if the time we spend together isn't because she enjoys it, but because she feels obligated to do so? I don't want our relationship to be like that."

InuYasha had no answer to that. Instead, he closed his eyes, and licked her cheek, swiping his tongue along a two inch long scratch that adorned her left cheek. Kiko jumped as his tongue licked her cheek, but quickly found that she liked the feeling; she settled back down and motioned for him to continue.

InuYasha slowly licked her again, earning a giggle from the girl. As InuYasha licked her again, he could taste the salt on her face from her tears.

After a few more licks, Kiko spoke.

"Heh, you fight pretty tough, but underneath you're nothing more than a big puppy dog." She giggled. InuYasha stopped, and pulled back so their noses were touching again. He opened his eyes, and pretended to glare at her.

"What was that?" He asked softly, his hands coming up to grip her shoulders. "I believe you called me a...puppy dog, was it?"

Kiko laughed again at his expression, and nodded. "Yup, that's what I said."

InuYasha growled, and stood up. "I'll fix you!" He said gruffly, gently pulling her to her feet. Before she could react, he slipped an arm around her waist, and easily hefted her off her feet. He slung her over his shoulder and started walking.

"Teach you to call me a puppy." He grumbled, sniffing the air. Kiko's laughing shrieks and protests, he ignored, until her fingers started probing his hips. He tried not to squirm, and almost succeeded, until she found the spot on his lower back. Involuntarily, his back arched as her fingers caressed his lower back, almost throwing her face-first to the ground.

Kiko yelled again, then it turned to laughter when she realized InuYasha had a tight grip on her and wouldn't let her fall.

"Hmmm so you've got a ticklish spot, huh?" She asked.

InuYasha shook his head, and tightened his grip on her waist lest she touch there again. "It's not exactly a ticklish spot." He mumbled.

"Mm really? What is it then?" InuYasha felt her fingers exploring his lower back again through the fabric of his haori, and he exercised all his available willpower to not fall to his knees.

"It does different things, that's all you need to know." He said, not believing the kind of things he was telling her.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Does it-" She stopped for a second. "Ooh...Ooh, I get it..." She said. "Oops."

InuYasha laughed, and hauled her off his shoulder. He slipped his hands underneath her knees, and carried her bridal style. "Enough exploring fingers, before you find anything else you shouldn't know about." He said.

Kiko leaned her head against his chest, and hummed. "What kinds of things would they be, InuYasha?" She asked.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know?"

Kiko hummed. "Well, I may _look_ innocent, but..."

InuYasha blushed. "S-so? I DO have a girl, you know." He said.

Kiko nodded. "I know that. But I like to tease." She said. "I won't actually do anything to you, that wouldn't be right, but teasing, I'm fine with." She said.

InuYasha groaned. "That's even worse, somehow." He said. "You can't tease people, and not give them anything."

In his mind, InuYasha knew he was crossing into dangerous territory with this conversation, but another part of him didn't care. As long as it was taking her mind off Sei, he figured, then it was okay.

"Oh, but I _can_ tease, and not do anything. It's sooo much more fun." She said. She paused for a second, then spoke again. "Sometimes."

InuYasha shivered. Something about the way she said "sometimes" sent shivers down his spine.

"Plus I got good control over myself." She bragged.

InuYasha laughed. "If I wasn't in a relationship, I would _definitely_ test that." He said.

A second after he said it, he mentally slapped himself. Until now, their conversation was all hypothetical, but now, he just had to say something like that. Dammit!

Sure enough, Kiko was silent.

InuYasha kept his mouth shut, waiting for her response. He figured he had messed up bad, so he wasn't expecting her next words.

"The way I'm feeling now," She whispered, "That's something I sure wouldn't mind. But you being in a relationship, it isn't something I can exactly ask you to do with a clear conscience."

InuYasha almost tripped. In his mind, he replayed her words.

"R-really?" He managed to choke out.

Kiko then blushed, and nodded. "I don't like to lie, so I'd have to say yes." She said.

InuYasha was quiet for a minute, thinking. A few minutes passed in total silence, before he spoke.

"You _do_ realize that you're talking about sex, right?" He asked. "Or else my mind is in the gutter, and I'm waaaayy off."

Kiko smiled. "I realize that. Innocence is an appearance, InuYasha, and appearances can be decieving."

InuYasha groaned.

"Ugh...damn I hate you right now." He said jokingly. "You know I can't do anything with you, but still you insist on placing interesting images in my head."

Kiko laughed. "Didn't I tell you I like to tease?" She asked.

InuYasha glared at her, and set her down. They had arrived at the hot spring that he had sniffed out a few minutes before.

"Teasing me and leading me on, pretending to be interested in me is _not_ fun." He said sternly.

Kiko slipped her arms around his neck, and stared at the pouting hanyou.

"Well...I wasn't teasing about my interest in you, at least." She said. InuYasha's eyes widened, and Kiko took this chance to lean up and place a light kiss on his cheek.

"You better disappear for a while, InuYasha." She said, hands starting to undo her shirt. "Sango wouldn't like to hear that you watched me undress and wash in the hot spring."

InuYasha growled lightly, before turning around and walking into the forest.

"I'll be back in a little while, you better be done by then!" He called out over his shoulder. A soft hum greeted his words, and he took it as acknowledgement. She had heard him, at least.

As he walked, his thoughts turned to Keiran. In a way, Kiko's teasing reminded him a lot of Keiran. Sometimes, she would be all over him, and then other times, she would appear to have no interest in him at all. It kept him off-balance a lot, and he guessed that was what she liked. She always had him guessing. Now Kiko was doing the same thing.

He shook his head. "No, I guess it isn't exactly the same thing." He said. To him, it seemed like she was just being over-affectionate. No real harm had been done. The worst thing that had happened was that Kiko admitted to wanting to get with him, and even that, he wasn't sure of. She claimed that it was teasing, then said that that part had been serious, but really, how well did he know her? She could be playing him like an instrument, and mean absolutely none of it.

He shrugged. He'd go along with however she acted. After all, if it helped them bond, then it wasn't so bad after all.

--

Kiko sighed. Although it was actually her who shunned Sei, it felt like Sei had somehow shunned her, and it hurt. She still wasn't clear on what had really happened with Sei and the village she used to live in when she was a kid though. She would have to face Sei sooner or later though, and find out.

Feeling herself starting to get depressed, she thought of how she felt when she was laughing and having fun with InuYasha. She wanted those kinds of feelings back.

She smiled.

"InuYasha's fun." She said. "It looks like he can take a joke or two, too."

She laughed. "He's fun to tease." She said to herself.

She looked up at the sky, and sunk down into the hot water. She wondered why InuYasha had come after her in the first place. If she asked him, he would probably say something about him being her friend, and it being what friends did.

She sighed. She had teased InuYasha a lot, made a few insinuations, and pretty much told him straight up that she wanted to have sex with him. She doubted it would ever happen, and part of her was glad. A large part of her wanted to take Sei back, and messing with InuYasha would only complicate things with Sei, not to mention what it would do to InuYasha and Sango.

"What about the part of me that doesn't want Sei? What about the part that wants InuYasha?" She wondered softly. After a few minutes of pondering, she shrugged.

"I'll wait until this thing with Sei is done and over with to think about that. It's probably just because he came after me and took care of me." She said. "I'll be back to normal in a while."

She smiled, and sunk down a bit lower. The water rose to cover her chin, and only then did she wonder what it would be like to have both Sei and InuYasha.

The thoughts made her blush. "Mmm no...I can't do that. Sei and everyone else expects me to be proper!"

She smiled to herself. "It would be nice though..."

--

InuYasha wandered back through the forest, and slowly entered the clearing where he had dropped Kiko off. He could smell the heated water, as well as the scent of Kiko.

"Ready to go back?" He asked, seeing her sitting on a large rock near the hot spring. She got up, and nodded, smoothing out her clothes.

"Yes, thanks." She said. InuYasha's ear twitched, and he could tell from the sound of her voice that she was back to her polite self.

"Alright, let's go." He said. He sniffed the air for a second, got his bearings, then took off walking.

They were silent for a minute, before InuYasha spoke.

"Say, what did you mean by all that back there?" He asked.

Kiko looked at him.

"Mean by what?" She asked.

InuYasha shrugged. "All that...that flirting, I guess." He said, feeling his face heat up just from asking.

Kiko laughed and returned the shrug. "Something to do, I guess." She said. "Like I said, I like to tease, and judging by how things went, you seem very fun to tease." She said.  
InuYasha laughed. "Fun to tease, eh?"

Kiko nodded. "Yep. I mean, when people first meet me, they see the extremely polite side of me. But that isn't all that there is to me. I like to have fun just like everyone else, you know." She said.

InuYasha nodded. "That makes sense."

Kiko hummed. "And I guess a big part of it is that I like you." She said. InuYasha looked at her, eyebrow raised. To this, she held up her hands. "Don't get me wrong, I like everyone in our group, but you...you're special, you know?"

InuYasha smirked, but it was lopsided and half-hearted. "What do you mean by that?" He asked.

Kiko was silent for a minute as she thought about it. "Well, I guess I mean that I feel a bond with you, a connection, if you will." She said. "It's hard to explain, but hopefully you know what I mean."

InuYasha nodded slowly, stepping over a rotten log. "I think so..."

InuYasha reached out and took Kiko's hand, helping her over the rotten log, which was on an angle, and higher on her side.

"So when did this all start? This bond, I mean."

"Hmm...not too long ago." She said. Then she clued into to InuYasha's tone, and laughed.

"Hey, don't worry. It's not like I'm going to be fighting Sango for your affections or anything, I'm not like that." She said. "Besides, if I can get Sei to forgive me, then I might have a chance at getting her back." She said softly.

It was InuYasha's turn to laugh. "Ahh, well if you want her back, then I don't think you're going to have a problem getting her back, she seemed pretty saddened by your leave." He said.

Kiko perked up. "Really!?" She asked. A big smile graced her features. "That's good! I can get her back, hopefully!"

InuYasha hummed. "But you still have to talk to her first. No need to rush into apologies and ignore the whole main issue." He said. He realized he was still holding her hand, and he let go. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing.

"I know." She said, her voice once again quiet. "We'll sort through it." She said.

InuYasha smiled. "I hope so."

Kiko was silent for a minute, then spoke so quietly that InuYasha nearly missed it.

"You'll be there for me, won't you InuYasha?"

InuYasha's ear twitched. "Sure I will." He said. "What made you think I wouldn't?"

Kiko said nothing, and InuYasha smiled.

"Don't worry about it. Everything will be fine."

"I hope so."

--

They entered the village, and headed for Sei's hut. The door was closed, so they knocked a few times, waiting for a response. None came, and InuYasha figured that they were in his hut. They walked next door, and knocked a few times on the door before opening it. The light was starting to fade from the sky, so there wasn't much of a difference between the light inside the cabin and outside; their eyes adjusted immediately.

Despite her earlier courage, Kiko hid behind InuYasha, holding onto his sleeve. InuYasha entered the cabin, and saw Sei and Sango on the bed. They looked up and watched him enter, knowing Kiko was directly behind him.

"Come on, you've gotta face up sooner or later." InuYasha said, moving aside and letting Sei lay eyes on Kiko.

Kiko kept her eyes on the floor, and moved over to the bed, sitting next to Sei.

Neither said a word, and InuYasha took the silent hint. He motioned to Sango, and she nodded. She got up, and walked toward the door. InuYasha took a second to kneel down next to Kiko.

"If you need me, just call." He said. "I'll be right outside the door, alright?"

Kiko nodded. InuYasha was about to get up, when Kiko surprised all three of them by wrapping her arms around InuYasha's neck and hugging him tightly.

InuYasha didn't hesitate to return the hug, not caring that Sango was watching. He had two good reasons not to care, either. Kiko was his friend, and he knew nothing was going on; Sango should trust him. Second, he wasn't too happy that Sango had even considered Naraku's offer, even for a split second.

"Good luck." InuYasha said, before pulling away and standing up. Meeting Sango's gaze full on, he walked toward her. Instead of taking her hand like he always did, he walked straight past her, and out the door, knowing she would follow him.

Sango did, and followed him a few feet away from the cabin.

"What was that, huh?" She asked.

InuYasha's ear twitched, as he tried to tell her emotions from the frozen tone of her voice.

"It was a hug." He said bluntly.

Sango sighed. "I knew that." She said tiredly. InuYasha cut in, feeling his anger rising. "Then why'd you ask?"

Standing behind him, Sango glared at his back. "You know damn well what I meant." She said.

InuYasha turned around and stared at her non-chalantly.

"It was me giving her a hug for moral and emotional support." He said.

Sango nodded. "What took so long in the forest?" She asked.

"We stopped to fuck." He said sarcastically.

"Fuck off." Sango said, her voice full of disgust, eyes narrowing.

"Well that's what you're implying, and you know it." He said. "Whats with the hug, InuYasha? What took so long in the forest, InuYasha?" He asked, mimicking her voice. Sango clenched her fists together, and resisted the urge to hit him.

"Oh, and just in case you haven't noticed, Kiko likes girls. There's no way in hell she'd get with me, even if I wanted her to." InuYasha said. "Place your distrust elsewhere, it doesn't belong with me."

"What happened earlier?" She asked, changing the subject. "Your demon blood seemed to take over with no problems." She said. "Couldn't you resist it?"

InuYasha shrugged. "At the moment, I really didn't want to." He said.

Sango nodded. "So you wanted to take it out on my brother, is that it?"

InuYasha nodded. "Yes, Sango, that's exactly it." He said, voice once again sarcastic. "I decided to say, 'Fuck the promise I made to Sango, I'll just kill the little fucker right here! And what's more, I need to be all-demon just to kill him! Because as a weak-ass half-demon, I can't kill one weak petty human!'"

Sango sighed loudly. "What's with the major attitude suddenly?" She asked. "I can barely talk to you."

InuYasha glared at her. "What's with the fucking accusations suddenly? I can barely _live_ without you freaking out at me for something!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, InuYasha?!" Sango yelled. "Why the fuck are you so different?"

"Because, no matter how short of a time it was, you were thinking of killing me to get your brother, Kagome, and Miroku back!" He yelled. "Thats what!"

"Inu-"  
"FUCK YOU!" InuYasha growled, clenching his fists. Without waiting for a response, he turned and crouched down, gathering his strength before jumping high into the air.

Sango stared after him, realizing that it was still bothering him. She sighed. She would have to wait for him to cool off and return before she could talk to him. She wondered if he would return tonight. She didn't know. It was their first real fight since she could remember, and she knew she had Naraku, and herself, to blame.

--

Sei stared at Kiko, and waited for her to speak. Kiko stared at the floor, and said nothing. When it became obvious that Kiko wasn't going to talk first, Sei shifted uncomortably on the bed, and cleared her throat.

"Um, I apologize for what happened." She said. "I don't really have any excuse for it; at least, none that would be acceptable."

Kiko was silent for a minute, still staring at the floor. Just when Sei thought that Kiko didn't hear her, Kiko looked up and met her gaze. Her eyes were clear and sharp, and she looked almost angry.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" She asked. "I don't know any of the details."

Sei nodded slowly. "Um...okay."

Sei hesitated only a second, wondering where to start.

"Okay, um, pretty much all that happened was Naraku caught me off guard." She said. "He caught me training one day, and I was angry. Like, seriously pissed off. Anyway, he comes to me, and says that he knows all of my problems. Naturally, I was a bit skeptic of him, but once he went into a detailed explanation of why I was angry and who I was angry at, details this person could never know, I became interested. He said that my sword was interesting. He said it seemed strong, but it could be a lot stronger. He told me that he could enchant it with the demons thirst for blood. He said all I needed to do was kill. For every person or demon that I killed, the sword would get stronger. What he _didn't_ tell me was that the sword could get strong enough to control me. So I took the enchantment from him, and went demon hunting. After a few hours, the sword started getting stronger; you could feel it. Then, suddenly, after I slayed an extraordinarily strong demon, the sword took on a power that I couldn't control. It took over me, and filled me with the thirst for human blood. The closest village was...your village, and...I went crazy inside the village, slaying everyone. People I had known my whole life, people who had raised me as their own after my own parents died. People I didn't even know...and then...I killed your parents." She said.

Kiko stared at her. "Is that what happened?" She asked.

Sei nodded. "It is. I tried to resist, but I don't think you know what it's like to be possessed...taken over...controlled." She said. "It's...the most horrible feeling in the world, knowing that you aren't yourself, and that you can't control your actions."

Kiko thought about it for a minute.

"Yeah, I guess that would be pretty bad." She said.

Sei inhaled deeply, held it, then exhaled slowly. "Almost every night, I relive that nightmare, Kiko." She said. "Trust me. I DO feel guilty about what I did. I know that I can never bring back those people, but every day I train, not only to protect you, but to make sure something like that never happens again." She said. "I'm really sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you tell me that it was you?" She asked.

Sei stared at her. "When I came to my senses, with the sword sated, I couldn't believe what I had done." She said. "I threw the sword away in horror, in disgust. I felt like killing myself for what I had done. Then, I heard you. You alone had survived the carnage, and how it happened, I don't know. My guess is when I demolished your house, the rubble caved in in such a way as to shelter you from my vision, and thus, my bloodlust. When I came to my senses and heard you, my heart wept. My heart wept in joy. There was someone I didn't kill, and furthermore, that someone was a child. It didn't make up for all the people I killed, but it gave me some small measure of relief that the whole village wasn't decimated."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kiko asked. "I had no idea what had happened. All I remember was sleeping, then waking up to screaming, then having a house fall on me and pin me to my bed. I thought I was going to die. Then after what seemed like the longest time, you cleared the rubble, took me in your arms, and cried." She said. "I thought a war was waged on our village, and by some chance, you were the only survivor. Every time I asked you about it, you said nothing. With all my friends and family dead, you were the only human I knew, the only one I had left, so I eventually stopped asking about it, afraid that you would leave me if I continued to annoy you."

Sei shook her head.

"I didn't tell you because I wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to know that your family and friends, your whole village was wiped out by...a monster. I didn't want to bear the guilt, and have you hate me for what I did." She said. "So I kept it a secret. The secret grew, and festered, until it drove me every day, always pushing myself. I knew I could never make up for what I did, but...it didn't keep me from trying."

Kiko stared at Sei for a minute, and thought about the last few years. She remembered countless times when Sei put her life in danger to protect her; many times she recieved severe wounds. Sei worked hard to make sure they were both well-fed and protected, sometimes going so far as to forsake her own appetite for a week or more to make sure that she was fed.

_She isn't a bad person, not by any means..._Kiko thought. _She's worked harder for me than anyone I've known, even when everyone in the village was alive. She isn't bad, she just made a mistake. It's okay if I forgive her...right?_

Kiko was silent for a few more minutes, before speaking up.

"I'm sorry." She said.

Sei looked up from the floor in disbelief. "What?"

"I'm sorry. I said some mean and hateful things to you earlier, and I'm sorry." She said.

Sei shook her head. "It's nothing I didn't deserve." She said.

Kiko stood suddenly, and stretched. Sei looked up and stared at the beautiful girl in front of her, and her heart skipped a beat. Quickly, she uttered a prayer. She prayed that she could get Kiko back no matter what she had to give up.

Kiko yawned, then looked at Sei for a long moment, saying nothing.

Sei didn't say a word; her heart beat fearfully in her chest.

Finally Kiko spoke. "I'm sorry for the things I said." She said. "I never meant them. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, then I'd love to pick up on our relationship where we left off. Then maybe we can walk the road of healing. Together." She said.

Sei's heart leapt. She jumped up and grabbed Kiko by the shoulders.

"D-do you mean it...?"

Kiko nodded, smiling a real smile for the first time in a while. "I do, love." She whispered. Sei didn't hesitate to wrap her arms tight around Kiko.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I know it doesn't make up for it, but I really am sorry. I'll do my best to earn your forgiveness."

Kiko said nothing at first; she rubbed Sei's back. A few seconds later, she spoke.

"Promise to love me, and only me, and you're well on your way, babe."

A/N: Well...Just gotta get InuYasha to calm down, return to Sango's side, and we got our fighting force back! Naraku's last (ultimate?) ploy has failed to kill InuYasha(so far), so there's nothing left except for the gang to hunt and kill him. Thanks for reading, please review with questions, criticizm, comments, anything you want. Thanks.


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